Surrey was one of only a few counties in the UK that did not have its own dedicated Helicopter Emergency Medical Service - HEMS, but this all changed in June 2007, when the helicopter was launched by a host of celebrities.

Responding swiftly to 999 calls, air ambulances are able to deliver a medical crew to the scene of an accident or medical emergency and to transport patients to the nearest major hospital or specialist unit, in a fraction of the time taken by a land ambulance.

However, the challenge now is to meet the yearly running costs of approximately £1.7 million to provide Surrey and neighbouring Sussex with an emergency helicopter service, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Receiving no funding from the National Lottery the charity relies almost entirely upon the generosity of the public to support the Surrey Air Ambulance.

We’re sure you’ll agree this is a worthy charity and will keep you informed of all the exciting fundraising events we carry out over the next few months.