Kent's Air Ambulance calls for 2026 fundraising as demand increases over New Year
The local air ambulance service tell us it needs £57,000 a day to operate
The Kent Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance Charity is calling out for donations or fundraising during the peak festive period, with £57,000 needing to be raised per day to keep operations going.
The county's air ambulance service has responded to over 3,000 incidents this year and aren't expecting any let up over the New Year.
Malcom Tunneclif, who is a doctor at Kent, Surrey and Sussex air ambulance, tells us it's not a relaxing time for him:
"On Christmas Day alone last year we had six or seven missions. We could be tucking into Christmas dinner, Christmas lunch and we get sent on a mission, in which case it's likely our dinner will go cold."
On these missions though, Malcom told us about what the public can do in an emergency whilst they wait for the ambulance service to arrive:
"We know that if someone in cardiac arrest has good basic life support early, before our teams or South East Coast ambulance get there, we know that their outcomes are so much better."
Throughout the year the Air Ambulance service hosts CPR classes in an effort to help prepare people.
According to their statistics 25 people a day across the region suffer a cardiac arrest out of hospital, with only one in ten surviving.
Malcom tells us, although £57,000 is needed per day, a big number, even the smallest donations go to good use:
"The charity needs to raise £57,000 a day to keep the service running. Even the smallest amounts of go to providers with really, really important pieces of equipment."
One of the fundraisers that's upcoming for the service is their annual 'Run 31' event, where people are encouraged to raise money by running a mile a day throughout January.
More details on how to get involved in that event can be found on the air ambulance charity's website.