Friends’ cycle from Mizen to Malin raises £10,000 for Air Ambulance

The idea for the Mizen to Malin trip stemmed from a light-hearted comment that was taken more seriously than originally anticipated as the majority of those involved didn’t own a bike until last year!

The ‘North Coasters’ as they named themselves decided that they wanted to raise funds for the air ambulance service (Air Ambulance Northern Ireland) given the work they do in pre-hospital critical care.

Andy said: “We trained since the start of the year to ensure we were ready. Unfortunately, Covid impacted and Peter was unable to take part, aside from that we completed injury and accident free and are delighted to have raised so much for this vital service. We want to say a massive thank you to everyone who donated and, of course, our title sponsors BM Electrical and supporting sponsors Realtime Recruitment and Contrast Security.”

Air Ambulance NI works with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) to provide the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS). They provide a 365-day-a-year service, providing high quality pre-hospital emergency care, and can access any location in the region in approximately 25 minutes. The team attend incidents of trauma and can greatly improve the chance of patient survival as the doctor/paramedic team provide critical interventions.

Air Ambulance NI is a charity and relies on donations from the general public to maintain this vital service. Each day, £5,500 is needed in fundraising and this group have raised £10,338.79 including gift aid.

Kerry Anderson, Head of Fundraising at the charity said: “The team pulled out all the stops in the organisation and delivery of this event. Their professionalism has been very impressive and we are so grateful for the fantastic donation that will save lives.”

If you would like to support your air ambulance, see www.airambulanceni.org