Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) is thrilled to announce a generous donation of £300,000 from the HELP Appeal, the only charity in the country dedicated to funding NHS hospital helipads, to support the development of a new helipad at its forthcoming Northern Air Base in Skipton-on-Swale.
This significant contribution is part of the £415,000 required to construct the helipad, which will ensure YAA’s helicopters can take off and land directly from the new base, enabling the charity’s critical care team to respond swiftly to emergencies across the region.
The HELP Appeal’s donation was formally presented during a visit to Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s current base at Nostell Air Support Unit. Robert Bertram FRSA, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal, and Trustee Arthur Vestey, met with YAA’s Director of Aviation, Steve Waudby, Medical Director, Dr Stuart Reid and Operations Director, Neale Jacobs, to present a cheque for the funds towards the new helipad.
This visit marked a significant moment in the ongoing partnership between YAA and the HELP Appeal, as the team had the opportunity to take an in-depth look at the progress of the new Northern Air Base and gain insight into the crucial role YAA plays in delivering lifesaving care to patients across Yorkshire.
The helipad will form a vital part of YAA’s new Northern Air Base, a purpose-built, fully owned facility located just 3.5 miles from the charity’s current base at RAF Topcliffe. With planning permission now secured, construction of the new base is set to begin soon. Once completed, the facility will provide long-term security and improved infrastructure, including state-of-the-art training environments, dedicated crew accommodation, and enhanced wellbeing facilities. Crucially, the new base will ensure that YAA can continue to reach any part of Yorkshire within 20 minutes, maintaining its ability to deliver lifesaving care across the region.
Robert Bertram, Chief Executive, HELP Appeal, said, “We are proud to donate £300,000 towards the construction of a new helipad at Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s new base. This funding is a direct investment in the lifesaving work carried out every day by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance team. By supporting the construction of this helipad, we’re helping to ensure they can continue responding swiftly and effectively to emergencies across the region. This donation has only been made possible thanks to the incredible generosity of our HELP Appeal supporters, whose commitment to enhancing emergency care makes projects like this possible.”
The HELP Appeal is the country’s only charity dedicated to providing non-repayable grants for the construction and upgrade of NHS hospital helipads. To date, it has funded over 55 helipads across the country, improving emergency response times and saving lives. Of these, 32 were brand new helipads, which have seen over 29,000 landings to date. In Yorkshire alone, the HELP Appeal has supported the installation of lifesaving helipads at hospitals including Sheffield Children’s, Leeds General, Sheffield General, Scarborough General and Hull Royal Infirmary. YAA’s Northern Air Base helipad will be the 13th air ambulance base funded by the charity, continuing its vital role in enhancing emergency healthcare infrastructure.
Steve Waudby, Director of Aviation at Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said, “We are incredibly grateful to the HELP Appeal for their outstanding generosity. Having a purpose-built helipad at our new base is crucial to the efficiency of our operations. It will enable our crews to mobilise quickly, ensuring that we are always ready to respond to emergencies across Yorkshire. This donation takes us one step closer to achieving our vision for a world-class facility that will serve the region for decades to come.”
With the support of the HELP Appeal, YAA is one step closer to enhancing its operations and ensuring the charity can continue to meet the growing demand for its services across Yorkshire. For further information about the Big Air Base Build and how you can support Yorkshire Air Ambulance, visit www.yaa.org.uk/big-airbase-build.