Cox Motor Group proudly visited the North West Air Ambulance Charity base in Blackpool in continuation of our on-going support for this incredibly worthy cause; one very close to our hearts.
North West Air Ambulance is a charity, receiving no government funding unlike the NHS. The service relies on donations alone with an annual requirement of £9.5m in order to fulfil its demand 365 days of the year. From 1st January to 12th October this year, NWAA had been called to 2,165 incidents. RTC’s (road traffic collisions) were the most common category, accounting for 600 (28%) incidents. It is vital to the North West Air Ambulance Charity that fundraising continues through public and corporate means.
Cox Motor Group provides a brand-new vehicle to the North West Air Ambulance Charity, primarily used between the charity shops that are dotted across the North West. This vehicle, along with the dedicated staff and volunteers, ensure that the team can provide pre-enhanced hospital care to the people of the North West.
Did you know, 999 call handlers now have virtual access to the scene of an incident via a digital facility called ‘GoodSAM’. GoodSAM allows the handler to be able to access the caller’s phone camera to thoroughly assess whether there is a need for the helicopter to be deployed and if the expertise the crew bring would add benefit to the situation. This technology can, at times, protect the charity from unnecessary attendance and allows greater strategic funding to be available for those scenes where their presence is critical.
However effective the cost-savings may be, there is still a significant need for regular funding and the North West Air Ambulance Charity has some great ways you can help. You can donate directly via the website at donate.nwairambulance.org.uk, or be a part of the ‘Lift Off Lotto,’ which is a weekly lottery draw to raise funds for the charity with a top prize of £1,000 every week.
Another initiative we get behind is the North West Air Ambulance Charity Ride Out event. As a Honda Motorcycles franchise dealer, we have unrivalled customer support – especially with the North West Blood Bikers who we also provide front line vehicle support to. The North West Air Ambulance Charity carry Blood on Board their helicopters and vehicles which costs over £60,000 each year to deliver this enhanced pre-hospital care at the scene, and without the charities working together and the right funding, this would not be possible.
So far this year, around 10% of all the 2,165 jobs involved a motorbike or bicycle; and North West Honda Super Centre are honoured to join forces with NWAA in attending their Ride Out (date to be announced). This awareness and fundraising event can be enjoyed by all, knowing they are helping to support a fantastic cause. Our committed team here at North West Honda Super Centre will be in attendance, along with our Blood Bikes; the Honda NT1100 and Honda CRF1100 Africa Twin.
Chris Andrews, Corporate Partnership Officer for the North West Air Ambulance Charity says, “The North West Air Ambulance Charity provides lifesaving medical care across the region. And with no government or NHS funding, and running costs of £9.5 million every year, we rely entirely on charitable support to continue operating. Cox Motor Group are longstanding supporters of the charity and it’s thanks to them that our doctors and HEMS paramedics are able to care for the people of the North West. We’re very grateful for our partnership with Cox Motor Group and excited to continue it long into the future.”
David Cox, Managing Director for Cox Motor Group says, “I must admit that our group’s involvement with the North West Air Ambulance is mostly down to my own connection with it and especially one of the big yellow helicopters that provided me with a much-needed emergency air taxi ride in 2007. Although my accident occurred at home it was in a rural area and the way that the NWAA helicopter can get to remote places so effectively was so crucial for me. I honestly do not want to imagine what it would have felt like to have had to wait for a road ambulance and the long journey to the hospital. It’s a helicopter ride that I certainly never want to repeat but since that day I’ve had such a profound respect for the NWAA that I just felt that we had to support them because putting it simply, they must exist for all of our sakes."
