During The Big Give Christmas Challenge, YAA are aiming to raise £19,000 in just one week to support their essential operations.
Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) is set to take part in the ‘Big Give Christmas Challenge 2023’ supported by generous match funding from The Reed Foundation and two prominent Yorkshire businesses, Rockwood Events and Beadlam Tractor Run.
From November 28th to December 5th, supporters of Yorkshire Air Ambulance have the unique opportunity to double the impact of their donations through match funding. Meaning every contribution will be amplified, turning a £10 donation into a £20 contribution to support the emergency service, without any additional cost to the donor.
YAA Specialist HEMS Paramedic, Tammy Williams explains the impact the donations will provide to the service and the importance of community support. “With costs rising, especially over the winter months, it is crucial that we continue to raise the funds required to keep our service operational to support the people of Yorkshire when they need us most. We respond, on average, to 4 missions per day, delivering the most advanced pre-hospital care to patients, irrespective of their location. Our critical care team responds to emergencies of the most severe nature, providing medical interventions that often mean the difference between life and death.”
She continued, “Every day, our fundraising teams strive to raise over £19,000 to sustain our life-saving work, which is no small feat. We receive no Government funding and depend solely on the generosity of the people of Yorkshire, who consistently rally behind our cause and support us—a gesture for which we are profoundly grateful.”
The campaign’s goal is to raise a final total, including match funding, of £19,000 – equivalent to a day’s operational costs. Once the donation pot hits £9,500, it will trigger the unlocking of the match funding pot. This pivotal moment will effectively double the total funds raised, achieving the target amount.
In addition to Match Funding Champion, The Reed Foundation, a national organisation committed to allocating one-fifth of its profits from its 18% stake in the Reed Group to charitable causes, two Yorkshire-based businesses are poised to strengthen the match funding pot.
Rockwood Events, located in South Yorkshire, has pledged £2,250 while Beadlam Tractor Run is set to pledge an additional £4,750. The two businesses have a longstanding partnership with Yorkshire Air Ambulance and have raised a combined £173,000 for the emergency response charity over the years.
Marianne Haworth, Grants & Trusts Manager at Yorkshire Air Ambulance, expressed her sincere thanks to all supporters ahead of the campaign. She said, “At the core of our mission lies our patients, driving everything we do. We are committed to delivering the highest standards of care to the people of Yorkshire, providing life-saving interventions. With the funds received from the Big Give Christmas Challenge, we will be able to fund an entire day’s operations, during one of the busiest times of the year for the emergency services, when accidents surge, with the hopes to save even more lives this festive season.
On behalf of everyone at YAA, I extend heartfelt thanks to our pledge champions who are generously matching our funds raised, and to our fiercely loyal supporters who donate throughout the week’s campaign, without whom, reaching our target will not be possible.”
Since its formation in 2008, the Big Give platform has raised an impressive £247,855,880 for over 15,804 charity projects, showcasing the remarkable power of collective philanthropy.
