Air Ambulances UK is today welcoming a £6m COVID-19  Government funding grant to support the lifesaving work of the UK’s air ambulance charities in the vital role they are playing in the frontline response to COVID-19, while also continuing lifesaving missions in the communities they serve across the UK.

The  funding is part of the £22 million awarded by Government to lifesaving health charities during the virus outbreak. It comes in response to air ambulance charities experiencing a drop in public income at the same time as many are incurring increased expenditure associated to providing extra vital frontline support to hospitals trusts and regional ambulance services in the care of COVID-19 patients, while also continuing their lifesaving missions in their local communities.

Says Heather Benjamin, Chair of Air Ambulances, UK: “We very much welcomes today’s announcement of Government support for the vital contribution air ambulance charities are making to the frontline emergency response to COVID-19, as well as continuing their lifesaving missions to patients with other life-threatening illnesses or injuries across UK. In the face of a drop in public income and increased expenditure, it is so vital that these charities remain fully operational and able to support the COVID-19 response and their communities in these extraordinary times and beyond.”

Whilst this injection of emergency Government support is very welcome, and much needed, air ambulance charities rely on public donations to make their life saving missions and so it is vitally important that people continue to support their local air ambulance charity.