Hampshire Landmarks Illuminated for Air Ambulance Base Appeal

Prominent sites throughout Hampshire were illuminated in support of a fundraising initiative for the air ambulance service. The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance (HIOWAA) aims to collect £3.6m via its Operation Airbase appeal to finance the relocation to a new main base. Among the locations temporarily converted into cinema screens to promote the appeal were Portchester Castle, situated near Portsmouth; Southampton’s historic town walls; and Parchment Street, located in Winchester. According to the charity, moving its operations from the existing airbase in Thruxton, Andover, to a location close to Southampton Airport would “dramatically reduce” emergency response times. The charity reported that thousands of individuals viewed the illuminating projections, which showcased helicopter flight footage, interviews with crew members, and testimonials from past patients. HIOWAA has already secured £800,000 of its fundraising goal. Keith Wilson, HIOWAA’s director of income and engagement, stated: “It’s important for us to get out into the communities we serve and spark conversations about our life-saving work and our exciting plans.” The air ambulance service presently operates from two distinct sites, with its flight operations situated near Andover and its charity administration team based in Southampton. The organization indicated that approximately 70% of its emergency calls originate from the southern part of the region, specifically Winchester, Southampton, Portsmouth, and the Isle of Wight. “This currently takes a minimum flight time of 15 minutes from the current base,” the charity explained. The service affirmed that relocating to a more central position would enable it to reach nearly every patient in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight within 10 minutes of departure. Specialist paramedic lead Nick Gray commented: “Every second we save could mean the difference between life and death – or between each patient returning to the life they had before.” Readers can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding its approach to external linking is available.