In May members of Mulgrew Haulage team participated in the Moy Park Belfast City Marathon to raise funds for Lisburn-based charity Air Ambulance NI, in loving memory of their colleague Cathal McCrory.

The team took part in the eight mile walk, team relay challenge and some completed the full marathon, raising a huge £7,650 for their local charity, Air Ambulance NI.

The charity, working with partners at the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service exists to ensure the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) is there for those who need it and currently it is needed on average twice per day.

Area Fundraising Manager at the charity, Grace said: “We are so grateful to Amy, her team at Mulgrew Haulage who participated in the Moy Park Belfast City Marathon and everyone who supported their wonderful fundraising efforts.

Amy Mulgrew and Lisa Gray from Mulgrew Haulage presented a cheque for £7,650 to Air Ambulance NI. The money was raised by a team from the company who took part in the Belfast Marathon. Pic credit: Air Ambulance NI

placeholder image — Amy Mulgrew and Lisa Gray from Mulgrew Haulage presented a cheque for £7,650 to Air Ambulance NI. The money was raised by a team from the company who took part in the Belfast Marathon. Pic credit: Air Ambulance NI

"We recently had the pleasure of hosting Amy and Lisa down to our operational base, to give them an insight into the service and we were delighted to accept their incredible donation.

"The funds raised will help the medical team lift off by helicopter to reach future patients, wherever that may be in Northern Ireland. This is very much a service that no one wishes to need but is there for every one of us.

"As a service we rely heavily on charitable donations to keep the medical team in the air, delivering critical care to patients who have suffered trauma throughout Northern Ireland - without this type of support, the team simply couldn’t fly. Every single penny counts.

"We want to say a huge thank you to Amy and her team for taking on this incredible challenge and participating in this event, for their amazing support.”

International nurses are the heartbeat of the South Eastern Heath Trust

The HEMS team attend patients who are seriously ill or injured, bringing emergency pre-hospital care direct to the casualty with the aim of saving lives, brains and limbs.

Air Ambulance NI aspires to raise £2.5million each year to maintain and sustain this service, so public donations are crucial.

Find out more by visiting www.airambulanceni.org alternatively you can contact the charity directly by emailing [email protected] or calling 028 9262 2677.