The Air ambulance industry the world over has faced several setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The foremost of them has been a steep decline in revenue due to dwindling margins owing to added safety protocols. Air ambulance charities have had it especially bad as fund-raising activities have come down drastically. The social distancing norms and the general fear about the possibility of contracting the infection have been the primary causes of this. In spite of all the hurdles, UK-based East Anglian Air Ambulance is going ahead with its plans to keep its base open for emergencies 24/7.
Air Ambulance Charity has Faced Huge Loss
A whopping 1.7 million British pounds – that’s the extent of loss that the air ambulance charity is staring at. In spite of this, the organization plans to go ahead. It is looking at opening the base by 2021. The project will cost about 7 million British pounds and transform its Norwich Airport, Norfolk base into one that can support operations 2/7. The base factors in welfare facilities for the crew, including provision for rest. The plan was chalked out well before the pandemic hit the country. The charity had been working on it for quite some time.
The Community Made it Possible
The officials of the air ambulance charity revealed that the feat has been possible mainly due to the community that has stood firmly behind it. In the UK, most of the air ambulance organizations are charitable. While some of the funds come from the government and corporate donations, most of it comes from the general public. The people of the country are often seen conducting fund-raising activities on their own to support such organizations. This time, however, the charity had got a one-time grant by the government of 1.1 million British pounds that helped accelerate the plan.
