Wiltshire Air Ambulance has won the Team of the Year award from The Business Exchange at their annual Reward ceremony.

The independent business magazine for Wiltshire, Bath and Somerset took their annual awards event into the virtual world last night to celebrate the best achievements of the charity and non-profit sector from across the South West in 2020.

Wiltshire Air Ambulance was named as the winner of the Team of the Year award, with the judges praising the charity’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The team has remained operational throughout the pandemic, flying up to 19 hours a day and being called to more than 1,100 incidents.

The aircrew has been required to wear uncomfortable PPE to carry out their day-to-day job of being there for the people of Wiltshire and surrounding areas.

Five of the charity’s critical care paramedics put themselves forward to assist in the national effort by transferring critically unwell patients with COVID-19 from general hospitals in the region to the Nightingale Hospitals.

In addition, lead clinicians were also part of the Trauma and Cardiac Arrest Support Line for SWASfT (South Western Ambulance Service Foundation Trust) to offer senior on-call support for their roadside paramedics.

Wiltshire Air Ambulance received special praise for helping neighbouring air ambulance charities with spare PPE, as well as loaning two ventilator units to the Royal United Hospital in Bath at the height of the pandemic.

Chief executive David Philpott said: “As 2020 comes to a close, we reflect proudly on the work our aircrew and charity staff have undertaken this year, in tremendously challenging circumstances, as we have to continued to deliver our lifesaving service.

“It certainly wasn’t the way we anticipated spending our 30th year of operation, but after many celebratory events and occasions had to be cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic, this award could not have come at a better time.

“We should also commend those other charities nominated alongside us; Prospect Hospice, We Get It and Whale & Dolphin Conservation, who are all just as deserving of this accolade.”

Wiltshire Air Ambulance also wishes to thank Stone King, legal specialists with a base in Bath, for sponsoring the Team of the Year award.

The Business Exchange founder Anita Jaynes said: “It was fantastic to host Reward, recognising the efforts of South West charities and Not-For-Profits in 2020. It was amazing to have something to celebrate in what has been a hard year for all of us.

“The tenacity, ingenuity and persistence of our local Third Sector has been outstanding and our finalists should all be incredibly proud of their miraculous achievements. Congratulations to all our winners.”