Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance Celebrates 30 Year Anniversary

The Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance (LNAA) is at the forefront of the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) in the UK, attending on average 4 potentially life-saving missions every single day, 365 days of the year.

Due to the skills of its crew, made up of medical consultants, paramedics, pilots and support team, it brings a hospital emergency department directly to the scene of some of the most serious incidents in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.

Witham Group has been proud to support the LNAA for many years, providing paint for their aircraft hangers and donating thousands of pounds of fundraising monies from our team events over the years. Here we find out a little more about this amazing life saving charity and what you can do to help keep it in the air… 

ABOUT LNAA

Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance first became operational in May 1994 and since then has responded to over 28,500 missions. They are based at their headquarters, just south of the city of Lincoln. Their crews responded to a record 1,771 incidents during 2023, from serious road traffic collisions to agricultural injuries and cardiac arrests. The helicopter, is a top-of-the-range Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) aircraft offering head-to-toe access to patients in flight. It can reach anywhere across Lincs & Notts in under 20 minutes. With the use of night vision goggles, the skilled crew can also be by the side of critically ill and injured patients in the hours of darkness. 

 Unbeknown to many the LNAA also runs two critical care cars. The Nottingham car operates in Nottingham City Centre and the surrounding area and the second car responds when incidents take place in built-up areas with restricted helicopter access, or when bad weather prevents flying. 

The highly trained crews carry the most up to date life-saving equipment on board and this enables the dedicated doctor and critical care paramedic team to perform advanced, life-saving procedures on scene. They can give advanced pain relief, carry out emergency medical procedures, and even perform open-heart surgery, and give blood transfusions at the scene.

2023 was LNAA’s busiest year on record, responding to 1,771 missions. Its pilots, doctors and paramedics responded to 546 missions in Nottinghamshire, 1,044 in Lincolnshire and the remaining 181 in the surrounding counties.  

Critically ill and injured patients were taken to hospitals including Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre, Hull Royal Infirmary, Sheffield Northern General and Lincoln County Hospital. 

 Caring for a patient does not stop when the doctors and paramedics transfer them to hospital. LNAA’s Aftercare Team continues to grow from strength to strength and the team reached out to 916 patients and/or their families during 2023. From providing support and arranging 58 visits to the organisation’s HQ, the team are also a listening ear and help many patients come to terms with their injuries and cope with the impact of what happened to them. In return, many patients and survivors who have received the benefits of being treated by the team, decide to help say thank you by fundraising or donating and promoting the work and achievements of the charity.  

 Marks Story 

 A cyclist who suffered a traumatic brain injury after being hit by a car, says he wouldn’t have survived without the care of the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance crew.  

One day Mark Jones, was working as a dog handler with the British Transport Police. The next, he was fighting for his life and continues to work on his recovery today.   Mark explains how his life changed in an instant:

My sergeant had asked me to take a statement at Grantham Railway Station. After doing this I was allowed to finish early and go home. I never got home. It’s amazing how life changes just because of one accident. You realise your whole life has changed in that one moment.

It took less than 15 minutes to fly Mark to Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) where a surgical team were waiting to operate on him.  Other injuries consisted of a bleed on the brain, both lungs punctured, numerous broken bones including two vertebrae, right collarbone and shoulder blade, every rib on the left-hand side and three on the right. His right leg was severely damaged below the knee and surgeons had to shorten his leg by 1.5 cm and put it into a metal frame, so that the bones could regrow and reconnect effectively. 

Mark Jones and his wife Karen recovering after his accident.

It was September 2015 and Mark spent the next 5 weeks in a coma. His condition was critical, and his chance of survival was low. He received extensive medical care, but the effects of the bleed on the brain had caused too much damage and it was going to take much longer to overcome so Mark was transferred to Northampton Rehabilitation Unit to help prepare him for when he could live independently at home. 

“It was there that I realised how badly injured I was. Everyday things were suddenly too hard for my brain to work out. It was surreal. I knew my name but couldn’t write it. I had to learn how to get dressed, clean my teeth, to do all those simple tasks including household chores and creating recipes with just two items in them – I could never get a third – It was all too much for my brain.” 

Finally, after 18 months, Mark was able to go home. He said: “But I was not going to let this beat me, I would not just lie down and take it, I was going to be active and face my recovery with determination to succeed.” 

The accident had a big effect on Mark’s family and his wife, Karen visited hospital daily to help nurse him. She even once arranged to bring Mark’s beloved dog Ollie into the ward to cheer Mark up. He acknowledges that Karen bore the brunt of his frustrations and anger, especially in those first years following the accident. 

Eight years later, Mark is still recovering. He has a speech impairment, short-term memory loss and suffers from fatigue. Part of the left side of his head is missing and he has had a titanium plate inserted to recreate the shape of his head and most importantly to protect his brain. He can cook, hoover and clean the house. He can cycle and drive a car. He has also had the courage to travel abroad to his son`s wedding.  

He has set up a dog training business and has become a volunteer for LNAA giving talks at clubs and societies, raising awareness of its life-saving work. As he says: “You saved my life – this gives me the chance to give something back.” 

“It makes me feel sad to realise how much I have changed, and it must hurt Karen immensely to think that the world we had isn’t the same anymore and will never be. The person I was has gone, but I’m still alive and well, I’m just different. Life does still go on and we have to do the best we can to look to make a future that we want.” 

There are many ways YOU CAN SUPPORT LNAA 

 The LNAA is a registered charity and receives no direct funding from the government. Instead it relies on the generosity and goodwill of supporters through donations and fundraising to support its work. LNAA needs to raise £13 million this year to operate 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week.   There are so many ways to support LNAA. Every year hundreds of people undertake fundraising events from cake and bake sales to rallies and marathons.  

 The charity also offers numerous challenge events for individuals and groups to take part in. From running the gruelling London Marathon, the Great North Run, or the Lincoln 10k to one of their dedicated challenges like the By Your Side 10k Steps challenge. These events are great fun and create a community of fundraisers who relish the challenge of taking on something new. 

 One of the easiest ways to support LNAA is by taking part in the weekly Lottery. For just £1 per week, people can join, set up a simple monthly direct debit and have the chance to win the weekly £1,000 prize. 

 1 in 3 of the missions are funded by gifts and legacies left in Wills. Leaving LNAA a gift in your Will is a wonderful way to carry on supporting a cause that matters to people long after your lifetime. A gift of any size can help people in our communities now and in the future. 

 HOW YOUR BUSINESS CAN HELP 

 The LNAA has a wide range of business partnerships working with them across a variety of sectors. Each corporate partner plays an invaluable role, raising both awareness and funds, either by organising events, allocating the LNAA as a charity of the year, providing goods and service donations or encouraging team members and employees to take part in organised or individual fundraising events.  

 The benefits of partnering with a charity has been demonstrated through various studies, culminating in a 2021 Third sector report showing that 80% of corporates who had connected with a charity were planning to build on their involvement and investment. 

The Witham Team presenting a fundraising cheque for £2,000 to the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance crew

 LOOKING OUT OVER THE HORIZON 

 The LNAA has started 2024 with great optimism. It is their 30th anniversary and there are ambitious plans for the next 12 months to enable the charity to be by the side of more patients and ultimately help save more lives.  

As the demand for their service grows, so is the fact that costs will also increase, meaning the need to raise more money will continue to grow.  

 The 30th Anniversary events aim to touch people living in every corner of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire and the charity will be holding a number of exciting activities including the Lincs & Notts Yarn Bomb Challenge. Individual knitters are invited to create a mini helicopter and display it in a local shop, pub, church, or other community space. More details can be found on their website: ambucopter.org.uk 

To find out more about the LNAA, how to donate, leave a legacy or ask for help and advice about a fundraising event,
please visit https://www.ambucopter.org.uk/