Cumbrian Landmarks To Turn Green For Great North Air Ambulance Service

Several prominent landmarks across Cumbria are set to be illuminated in green as part of a campaign supporting the Great North Air Ambulance Service and highlighting the vital work carried out by its crews.

The illuminations will form part of Air Ambulance Week, which begins on Monday, September 7, with the campaign aiming to raise both awareness and funds for the charity.

Among the Cumbrian landmarks taking part will be the Sir John Barrow Monument in Ulverston, Carlisle Historic Quarter, Barrow Town Hall, Carlisle Civic Centre and Whitehaven’s Beacon.

The green lighting campaign will extend beyond Cumbria, with other monuments, buildings and bridges across the North East and the Isle of Man also taking part in the initiative.

The Great North Air Ambulance Service provides emergency medical support across a large geographical area, operating two helicopters alongside a night time rapid response vehicle service.

Together, these services cover more than 8,000 square miles, allowing specialist emergency care to be delivered to people across the region when they need it most.

Since 2002, the service has responded to more than 30,000 incidents, highlighting the scale of the work undertaken by its crews over more than two decades.

The charity currently averages 39 call outs each week, with its teams responding to emergencies across a wide area where rapid access to specialist care can be critical.

Keeping the service operational requires significant financial support, with the organisation needing £9.6 million each year to continue its work across the region.

The charity is entirely dependent on donations to fund its operations, with the service costing £25,969 every day to operate. The Air Ambulance Week campaign is intended to provide a highly visible reminder of the role played by the service and the communities that help keep it operating.

Joe Garcia, chief executive of the charity, said seeing iconic buildings and landmarks across the region turn green would provide a visible demonstration of support for crews and the life saving service they provide.

He said the illuminations would also highlight the generosity of communities that help keep the helicopters flying and critical care teams responding to emergencies.

The charity is encouraging members of the public to support Air Ambulance Week in whatever way they can, including taking part in challenges, organising fundraising activities, making donations or helping to spread awareness of the campaign.

Organisers said they were grateful to everyone who had helped make the landmark illuminations possible and were looking forward to seeing communities across the North come together in green.

For people across Cumbria, the lighting of landmarks in Ulverston, Carlisle, Barrow and Whitehaven will provide a prominent local connection to the wider campaign and the work of the air ambulance crews.

The initiative will also help draw attention to the continuing financial requirements of an emergency service that relies on charitable donations to maintain its helicopters, rapid response operations and specialist medical teams.

The charity hopes the campaign will encourage more people to learn about its work and consider supporting the service, helping to ensure it can continue responding to emergencies across its extensive operating area.

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