Air Ambulance Week 2022 is taking off across the UK from today (September 5) to raise awareness of the lifesaving work of air ambulance charities across the UK.

During the national awareness week, organised by Air Ambulances UK, Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) will join other air ambulance charities across the country in a campaign called 'Critical Moments – Life-Saving Difference.'

The national campaign highlights how air ambulance charities, such as GWAAC, make a life-saving difference in critical moments. Anyone can become a patient at any time. Air ambulance crews bring the skills and expertise of a hospital emergency department to the scene of an emergency, performing complex procedures using advanced equipment and drugs that improve survival rates.

GWAAC provides the critical care and air ambulance service for 2.1 million people across the counties of Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, and parts of Wiltshire. The GWAAC Critical Care Team consists of highly trained and experienced Critical Care Doctors, Advanced Practitioners and Specialist Paramedics in Critical Care.

2021 was the charity's second-busiest year to date, with 1,964 call-outs. The Critical Care Team attends an average of over five incidents a day, either by helicopter or in one of three critical care cars. On average each mission costs around £2,000 to attend. The charity needs to raise over £4 million a year to remain operational yet receives no day-to-day funding from the Government or National Lottery.

GWAAC is calling on people all over the region it serves to support the charity during Air Ambulance Week 2022 to ensure it can continue to save the lives of people like Adrian.

Adrian was cycling from Taunton to Bristol when he collided with a lorry. He says, "When you do need your local air ambulance charity you will be forever grateful… People that donate are playing a massive, massive part in keeping these specialist paramedics out there. This really does need a contribution, even if it's a pound a month, £5 a month, or a one-off donation of a fiver. Every penny counts and it all goes to the critical care they provide. That's what GWAAC is about."

If you'd like to get involved and learn how you can help GWAAC continue to make a lifesaving difference in critical moments, the GWAAC website tells you all you need to know.