On April 6, Cornwall Air Ambulance celebrated 30 years of providing medical flight service. The charity celebrated its anniversary with 200 crew, staff, and volunteers as well as patients who have been served by their air ambulance. The first pilot for Cornwall Air Ambulance, Geoff Newman and the first paramedic, Paul Westaway were also part of the service.
First Medical Flight Service in the U.K
Cornwall Air Ambulance was the first air ambulance provider in the U.K. Since their establishment 30 years ago, they have inspired 20 other providers to save lives through medically-equipped flights. The emergency service receives funding from the residents of Cornwall and completes around 700 missions every year.
Since its launch in 1987, Cornwall Air Ambulance has completed in excess of 26,300 missions. To celebrate their 30th year of service, the charity launched the “30 for 30” campaign to raise funds. The goal of this campaign is to encourage people to participate in fundraising events centered on the number 30. For instance, people could raise funds by going on a 30km run or volunteering for 30 hours.
Cornwall Air Ambulance Continues to Grow
During the anniversary celebration, Geoff Newman and Paul Westaway shared their stories and how they decided to begin the charity. Paul Martin, CEO of the Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust, took the time to thank the two men who pioneered a medical flight service in the U.K. Since their launch, the charity has experienced massive growth and intends to further enhance the quality of their service.
Their future growth plans include investing in a next generation aircraft to carry out emergency flights. The charity also aims to provide outstanding emergency care to their patients during the first few hours of the incident, which can be crucial for saving lives.
