Appeals and Campaigns
Club Tour Ticket Sales Help DSAA
Lee Randle, a gentleman that runs club tours currently in Torquay (and soon Bournemouth) is running a number of events next year, 2010. A percentage of ticket sales are going to the DSAA, together with raffles and other fundraising methods.
The event takes place mother's day weekend at Carrington House Hotel in Bournmouth.
Ticket prices from £12 per ticket.
You Park– They Fly, parking appeal for life saving Air Ambulance
Castlepoint Shopping Park is to support the Dorset And Somerset Air Ambulance by asking drivers who regularly use the thousands of free parking spaces to make a voluntary donation during Air Ambulance Week commencing Monday 15 December. The You Park - They Fly appeal hopes that many of the 17,000 drivers who visit Castlepoint every day may donate enough money over the week to fund over 240 life saving missions flown by the dedicated air ambulance crews.
Peter Matthews, General Manager at Castlepoint, the UK’s largest shopping park, says that he hopes that people will show their appreciation of the fact that parking is free at Castlepoint all year round by making a donation.
“A small donation during the You Park – They Fly appeal week by most of our visitors who use our spaces could buy a month of life saving flying funded by the DSAA charity,” said Peter Matthews.
Tracy Bartram, Fundraising Co-ordinator for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, said; “The opportunity to appeal to Christmas shoppers will ensure that the life saving service can continue to respond to what can be up to 6 emergency calls each day across the two counties. Our team of volunteers will also be on-hand to provide information to supporters during the campaign.”
As 31% of the life saving missions flown by the air ambulance are to attend road traffic related emergencies, organisers expect that car users will understand the importance of the You Park –They Fly initiative.
Anyone wishing to support the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance can call 01823 669604 or visit www.dorsetandsomersetairambulance.org.uk
Dorset Freemasons Support
Dorset Freemasons have supported their Ambulance service for several years and as part of the various 2008 fundraising initiatives, presented cheques to the value of £8,400 when the Air Ambulance and crew dropped in to the Bournemouth Flying Club at Hurn Airport this Bank Holiday Monday.
The first cheque presented was for £4,000 from The Freemasons Grand Charity which is part of an allocation of grants totalling £190,000 to Air Ambulance Services nationwide. (A similar amount was donated via Somerset Freemasons.) This cheque was presented on behalf of the Province of Dorset by Martyn Powell, a Dorset Freemason with a special reason to be grateful to the service. 4 years ago (almost to the day) Martyn had been involved in a very serious motorcycle accident near Freshwater (West Bay) in Dorset. Paramedics early on the scene had considered transferring him by road ambulance but were aware that given the severity of his injuries and bleeding, his life expectancy at that time was no more than 10 minutes. Amputation of his right leg looked inevitable. The Air Ambulance conveyed Martyn to Dorchester Hospital in 6 minutes, where surgeons managed to revive him and eventually saved his leg. Martyn, who travelled down from Scotland to make the presentation said, “I owe these guys my life!”
The second cheque was for £2,700 and was raised by John Allan, a Dorset Freemason who, having harboured an ambition to run the London Marathon for many years, now at the age of 65 and fully retired, decided to give it a go. Once he had been accepted as an entrant, he decided that he would also apply some pressure on himself to keep going and therefore decided to seek sponsorship for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance Trust. Through the generosity of many of his fellow Freemasons in Dorset and Somerset he managed to raise the sum of £2,700. The cheque was presented on John’s behalf by the Assistant Provincial Grand Master of Dorset, George Cooper.
The third cheque was for £1,700, was presented by David Sandever, the Immediate Past Master of The Lodge of St Cuthberga which meets at Wimborne. David had selected the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance as one of his two chosen charities for his year in office, 2007/2008. £3,400 was raised through charity donations from the members at Lodge meetings throughout the year as well as from the profits made at various Lodge social events which included the annual Lodge ‘Hog Roast’ which alone raised over £900.
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