A holiday park in Boroughbridge has raised nearly £32,000 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
Old Hall Holiday Park is a longstanding supporter of the charity, which relies solely on public donations to carry out its life-saving service across the county.
Park manager Wendy Whittle said: “The Yorkshire Air Ambulance is such a fantastic cause and one which everyone at the Old Hall supports. We are lucky to have such a wonderful community at the park, with all our holiday home owners joining in our fundraising activities and giving generously.”
In recognition of Old Hall’s amazing fundraising efforts, Wendy and her husband Denis were invited to the charity’s exclusive unveiling of two new state-of-the-art helicopters at Nostell Airbase near Wakefield.
They were among the first to see the new G-YORX and G-YAAA Airbus H145 D3 helicopters, joining other special guests and dignitaries for the event. Many of the charity’s staff were also present, including head office and fundraising teams, volunteers, and the crew of pilots, doctors, paramedics, and technical crew members.
Wendy said:
It was such an honour to be invited and we had a fabulous day. It was wonderful to meet everyone involved in the charity. Together, they make such a fantastic, friendly team who are all so dedicated and work so hard.
The new helicopters are the first of their kind to come off the production line and into the UK and will replace two older aircraft, G-YOAA and G-YAAC, which began service in 2016. Based at airbases near Thirsk and Wakefield, the new helicopters have a range of technologically advanced features, with the main rotor adopting a five-bladed ridged design for improved efficiency, reduced vibrations and enhanced ride comfort for patients and crew.
Old Hall Holiday Park has been supporting the Yorkshire Air Ambulance for the past 13 years through a variety of fundraising events including an annual hog roast, live bands, discos, children’s parties and games, raffles, Halloween parties, fun days, Easter parties and a bric-a-brac stall. A ‘Bonus Ball’ raises £600 each season, while a party for the King’s Coronation earlier this year also added £600.
Linda Stead, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s regional fundraising manager for the North and East, said:
We are extremely thankful to everyone at the Old Hall Holiday Park for their continuous and unwavering dedication over the last 13 years.
This remarkable donation is a testament to their commitment to our mission of saving lives across Yorkshire and from the whole team at YAA I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for their invaluable support.
