WILTSHIRE Air Ambulance is calling on businesses to get onboard its major fundraising appeal for its new airbase at Semington, near Melksham, by joining The 100 Club.
The charity has a strong track record working with businesses who raise money towards the day to day costs of its lifesaving service.
It has now created The 100 Club, specifically for businesses who want to raise funds towards completing the building and equipping of the new airbase.
Businesses who join The 100 Club each pledge to raise £10,000 towards the Airbase Appeal, which is raising the remaining £1.25 million towards the airbase.
Five Wiltshire businesses have already signed up – Kingstons Estate Agents, Hartham Park, Excalibur, Coombe Castle and Goughs Solicitors – and attended a Founder Member’s 100 Club lunch at Hartham Park, Corsham.
Ben Clinch, Partner at Kingstons which has offices in Melksham, Trowbridge and Bradford-on-Avon, said: “Wiltshire Air Ambulance gives hope of survival to people of all walks of life in critical situations where the helicopter can be the only difference between life or death. The new airbase will protect the future of the air ambulance. It will provide cohesion for all staff being able to work together at one site and the service provided to the people of Wiltshire will become more efficient and effective.”
Jeffrey Thomas, Chairman of Hartham Park, said: “I am honoured to support this essential local emergency service that benefits our community in Wiltshire. We have had cause to call upon Wiltshire Air Ambulance on more than one occasion over the past 26 years and they always perform without hesitation and with great skills and care. The Airbase Appeal will ensure that this excellent service is retained into the future and that many more lives will be saved or improved.”
James Phipps, Chief Executive of Excalibur, a communications and IT business based in Swindon, said: “Wiltshire Air Ambulance is a universal service that applies to everybody. It provides a lifesaving service and you cannot put a price on a life. As it relies almost entirely on public donations we feel it is our responsibility to help in any way we can. We held our first fundraising event by sleeping out overnight in our car park and raised over £1,000 for Wiltshire Air Ambulance.”
Caron Staddon, Marketing Manager at Coombe Castle, a specialist producer and exporter of British dairy produce based in Melksham, said: “We have supported Wiltshire Air Ambulance on an ad-hoc basis in the past but when we heard about The 100 Club we decided to make a year long commitment to support this worthwhile local charity. Fortunately no-one at Coombe Castle has had any personal experience of Wiltshire Air Ambulance, but we are all aware of the amazing contribution it makes to saving peoples’ lives in Wiltshire.”
Kevin Basnett, Managing Partner of Goughs which has offices in Calne, Corsham, Chippenham, Devizes, Melksham and Trowbridge, said: “We have previously supported Wiltshire Air Ambulance and so are fully aware of the essential emergency support they provide, both day and night, for the benefit of everyone in Wiltshire. We are extremely lucky to have such a valuable service in our county and we wanted to show our gratitude and support by joining The 100 Club. We are sure the new purpose-built facility in Semington will be a great source of civic pride.”
Cheryl Johnson, Head of Wiltshire Air Ambulance’s Airbase Appeal, said: “We are so grateful to Kingstons, Hartham Park, Excalibur, Coombe Castle and Goughs for becoming founding members of The 100 Club. Their fantastic support has got The 100 Club off to a flying start.
“We’d love for other businesses to get onboard and join The 100 Club. We are having a launch event of The 100 Club on 10 March 2017 at Hartham Park. There are so many ways that businesses can get involved, from employee fundraising to matched-funding. Every business that joins The 100 Club will play a part in helping us to create a legacy for Wiltshire – a custom-built airbase bringing together our operational and charity teams, enabling us to save lives for many years to come.
“There are also exclusive benefits for businesses who join the 100 Club, including visiting our current Operations Centre in Devizes to meet the aircrew and see our state-of-the-art helicopter, mutually beneficial marketing and PR opportunities and recognition on a ‘roll of honour’ at our new airbase.”
To find out more about the benefits of becoming a 100 Club member go to https://wiltshireairbaseappeal.co.uk/support-our-appeal/100club/ or email 100club@wiltshireairambulance.co.uk