Ireland’s first Charity led Air Ambulance has delivered in excess of 100 missions within its first two months of service. The new Air Ambulance is ahead of target to deliver a forecast 500 life-saving missions per annum. However, €2m will have to be raised each year to keep the service airborne and a fundraising effort is ongoing to keep the service going.
The Co. Cork based service is being led by Irish Community Rapid Response (ICRR) and delivered with the HSE National Ambulance Service (NAS) and the Department of Health. The Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) went live on 30th July and had been tasked with 93 missions in the first eight weeks of service and completed its 100th mission just before the end of September.
Public Fundraising Appeal
ICRR Chairperson Fergal Conlon called for public support for the fundraising effort and said that a new Chief Operations Officer has been appointed to lead the fundraising work.
“The Air Ambulance is a very positive and needed service which is saving lives and has already come to the aid of more than 100 families in two months.
“I am delighted to announce that an experienced fundraiser and charity sector leader Lynda Stopford has been recruited as ICRR’s new COO and she will lead the fundraising campaign. She will be working with staff, volunteers and a Cork based fundraising consultancy to reach our targets.
“The charity is also delighted to announce that it has secured a back-up helicopter which will be permanently housed in the hanger at the Rathcoole base in north-west Cork. The back-up helicopter came into use last week while the main helicopter was undergoing routine servicing. It will remain at the Airbase as a back-up aircraft, and as is normal for an Air Ambulance service.”
The back-up aircraft, Agusta A109 Power G-SHLS, positioned into Cork Airport on 12th September and will serve as a back-up aircraft to G-SHLE.
