A LIFESAVING Essex charity has thanked supporters across the county as it celebrated a huge milestone.

This year marks, the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust (EHAAT) celebrates 25 years of saving lives.

To show its appreciation, a ‘Thank-a-thon’ took place this month.

The entire EHAAT family representing all areas of the charity, from fundraising to clinical and operations, as well as the executive team, trustees, and volunteers, took to the phones to call supporters just to say thank you.

Manning the phones from three call centres based across the air ambulance’s offices and airbases, one of which is in Earls Colne, the ‘Thank-a-thon’ proved to be a fun day for all involved.

The critical care crew kickstarted the day with a surprise call to ex-patient, Peter Morris.

Peter and his wife Jackie have become loyal supporters of the charity since he was treated after a cardiac arrest at work in November 2020.

Not only did they nominate their bystander - who administered CPR - for a Royal Humane Award, they opened the Letchworth charity shop, spoke at a trustee event, and have kindly made personal donations to EHAAT. 

In addition to calling Peter, a selection of ex-patients, who have shared their stories and supported the charity in many ways were also thanked.

EHAAT chief executive Jane Gurney said: “The team and I are grateful to everyone that has supported us over the years – we honestly couldn’t fly without them.

“Without access to the National Lottery funding and with limited support from the Government, we rely heavily upon the generosity and goodwill of the people of Essex, Hertfordshire, and the surrounding areas.

“The opportunity for myself and the whole team to say, ‘thank you’, either in person on the phone, or through our social media channels, is just a small way of showing our gratitude and appreciation.

“It is a real privilege to have led Essex & Herts Air Ambulance through so many milestones over the years, and to work alongside our amazing supporters, our dedicated staff and volunteers, and our highly skilled critical care teams.

“However, it goes without saying our patients and their families are the ones who truly inspire me and my team the most, to continue to deliver our life-saving service today and into the future.”