We were delighted to host a special Lions Open Day at our Redhill base on Saturday 28 September, to celebrate, thank, and update Lions District 105SE on the incredible partnership and the support they have given to our lifesaving charity since 2012.
Over the years, Lions District 105SE have raised an impressive £483K. In 2012 their partnership with KSS began when they ran a night flying appeal to help fund the night vision goggles used by our crew. Since then they have funded crucial projects including three Rapid Response Vehicles (RRVs), two Tempus ALS systems, video laryngoscopes, v-scan ultrasounds, a head scanner project, and most recently, funding to replace 11 kit bag systems.
Helene Poursain, our Head of Public Fundraising said: “From the many comments we had on the day I know our guests had an interesting and informative day with us.
“As an independent charity we depend on the support we receive from the communities we serve. Without this we could not continue to fly and save lives. We are enormously grateful to the Lions for their continued support and look forward to achieving even more together in the future.”
Leigh Curtis, our Executive Director of Service Delivery provided an update on our work, outlined the importance of our partnership with the Lions, and discussed future collaboration opportunities.
Guests were given demonstrations of various pieces of equipment including items funded by the Lions and a tour of the base.
Lion Howard Lee, member of the Lions Steering Group said: “We Lions are always delighted to support KSS in the delivery of its wonderful, life-saving service. We were particularly proud in the early days of our partnership to provide the night vision goggles and other necessary equipment to enable KSS to become the only truly 24/7 air ambulance service in the country.
At the recent Open Day, the KSS people looked after us brilliantly and it was really great to see and hear all the latest at KSS. We will continue to support the Air Ambulance with specific projects as long as we can.”
Ahead of Restart a Heart with KSS Education Manager Ben Paul lead a session on the importance of CPR and the use of defibrillators.
Past International Director and Chair of the Steering Group Lion Howard Lee announced an additional £25K donation from the Hastings Lions Club, pushing their total contributions past the half-million mark – a truly amazing milestone.
Looking ahead, the Lions confirmed they will be raising funds for next year’s replacement RRV, continuing their extraordinary commitment to supporting KSS.