WCF Chandlers
Within the communities we deliver to
We are delighted to be working with Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance to raise much-needed funds for this amazing charity that respond to emergencies across our fuel distribution delivery area. The Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance is at the forefront of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) in the UK, attending an average of three potentially life-saving missions every single day, 365 days of the year.
Each life-saving mission costs an average of £3,500. As a Charity, they rely purely on public donations and receive no direct Government funding. The Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance provide the equivalent of an A&E department directly to the scene of some of the most serious and time-critical 999 calls in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.
Following the recent fund-raising efforts by WCF Chandlers, we were pleased to be invited by the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance to visit their new headquarters opposite RAF Waddington.
We were introduced to the CEO who gave a brief presentation of the organisations work, and how much this has increased in recent months due to the COVID pandemic. They were called to attend over 400 incidents in the last year, around double the incidents from the previous year!
We then got a Q&A with the team who attend incidents in the helicopter – a doctor, a paramedic and two pilots. It’s safe to say we were both thoroughly impressed and blown away by the hard work and dedication of this team. The doctor on duty had a full-time position in a trauma unit and worked with the Air Ambulance on his days off, meaning he works every day. The paramedic had worked for 8 years for this position and was in competition with 60 other applicants originally. Both agreed they had reached the peak of their careers. The team work 12-hour shifts minimum.
Then we were shown around the helicopter they use between the hours of 7 am and 7 pm and the vehicles they use between 7 pm and 7 am. The equipment the Air Ambulance use in both vehicles is enough to perform surgery if required, which is something the regular ambulance service is not able to offer. The helicopter is much smaller than we expected, and they even let us sit in it! They provided an overview of roughly how expensive their equipment is and as they are completely privately funded, it is clear to see just how important donations are. Expensive disposable equipment is regularly used (for example a breathing tube is £50), alongside re-usable equipment (blood warming machine £4,000). A tank of fuel in the helicopter alone costs £400.
After our afternoon with the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance team, we were absolutely in awe of the work they do and how dedicated this team are. How they power through the adrenaline-fuelled callouts, which take an average of 4 minutes from receiving the call to being off the ground, and average at about 3 callouts per day, is absolutely astounding.
Some fun facts:
To track our progress or make a donation visit our Go Fund Me Page
Two of our senior managers, George Cardall and Michael Moss, volunteered to go under the hot waxing strips in a bid to raise funds for two local charities within our fuel distribution area.
In just over an hour both George and Michael were stripped bare in the hair-raising chest wax!
George and Michael raised a total of £1050.44 for the two chosen charities.
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Rainbows, a hospice for children and young people
Rainbows are based in the East Midlands and are a place where life-limited children and their families can find care and support. Their incredible team of people help relieve symptoms, improve quality of life, support parents and siblings through their bereavements and care for children until the end.
Sue Ryder, Thorpe Hall Hospice
This specialist palliative care hospice helps people who are dying from conditions like cancer and heart failure, providing them with care and support to ease the physical and emotional pain. Thorpe Hall also runs a specialist day service open to people living with long term conditions.
Every Wednesday in December the WCF Chandlers team wear their favourite Christmas jumper or Christmas themed clothes to raise money for St Barnabas Hospice.
St Barnabas support patients and families across Lincolnshire who are living with a life-limiting or terminal illness.
Their aim is " To enable people to live as fully as they are able for however many days, weeks, or months they have left"
For more information on how you can support St Barnabas Hospice click here
