Wales Air Ambulance announced as Grŵp Llandrillo Menai's Charity of the Year

Students at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai have chosen Wales Air Ambulance as their Charity of the Year.

The Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and, if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury.

It is delivered via a unique third-sector and public-sector partnership. The Wales Air Ambulance Charity relies on public donations to raise the £11.2 million required every year to keep its helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles (RRVs) on the road.

The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the charity’s vehicles.

This advanced critical care includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.

As a pan-Wales service, its dedicated crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency critical care.

Troy Maclean, Student Union President at Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor, said: “We are delighted to announce our charity partnership with Wales Air Ambulance. We consider this charity to be of great importance and look forward to raising awareness and funds to support their vital life-saving efforts.

“I am looking forward to our dedicated charity weeks, during which we will promote the Welsh Air Ambulance and share information about their work, operational practices and how we can help.”

Students and staff from Grŵp Llandrillo Menai are looking forward to visiting the Caernarfon airbase over the next few months. Students will have the opportunity to visit the base, get up close to the helicopter and RRVs, check out the kit and hear from clinicians and past patients about how the service has helped them.

The Student Union hopes it will inspire everyone to want to do as much as they can to help.

Aaron Beacher, the Grŵp’s Student Enrichment Officer, said: “Our shared goal is to raise awareness about the work of the charity and raise as much as we can during the next academic year. Our fundraising is very student-led, they will guide us on the types of events that they want to do. I expect some interesting ideas to surface during our next meeting.”

Elaine Orr, Wales Air Ambulance Regional Fundraising Manager for North West Wales, said: “I’d like to extend a huge thank you to students at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai for choosing Wales Air Ambulance as their Charity of the Year.

“We are hugely grateful for the support and look forward to working in partnership with everyone over the next 12 months.

“As Wales’ only air ambulance service we rely on our fundraisers to help keep our helicopters in the sky and rapid response vehicles on the road. Through the generosity of our supporters, we constantly strive to make sure as many people as possible are benefiting from our vital service across North Wales.

“I hope together we can create some very exciting fundraising opportunities which everyone will want to get involved with. Every pound raised will help save lives.”