Lottery fundraisers and representatives of Tower Lotteries were invited to the new Wiltshire Air Ambulance Airbase in Semmington this week. The new base, which will enable the charity to reach any patient in the county within 11 minutes, sees operational, fundraising and administrative staff come under one roof having previously been based separately in rented offices in Calne whilst the helicopter flew from Devices.
The custom-built airbase was originally forecast to cost the charity £5.1m, however thanks to the help of local tradesman and Melksham-based Rigg Construction, the build came in below budget at £4.25m.
Head of Operations Richard Wild and fundraiser Michael Quinton were amongst the first visitors to the new base and were immediately impressed. “It is a fantastic new base and the people of Wiltshire can be rightly proud of it,” said Richard. “Simple things such as the training space now available to the operations team and meeting rooms for former patients, means the charity can host and train people in a professional environment with the latest technology.”
Tower Lotteries are proud to have run and administered The Wiltshire Air Ambulance Lifesaving Lottery since its inception and income from the draw now exceeds £1m a year. It represents the biggest source of revenue for the charity and contributes close to 30% of the £3.25m the charity needs to raise each year to keep the helicopter flying.
If you are interested in canvassing door-to-door for the charity in Wiltshire, contact David on 07982 246404. Part-time and full-time vacancies are available and all fundraisers are self-employed, meaning you can choose your hours of work and location within Wiltshire to recruit members.
