News Latest news In Good Hands with Devon Air Ambulance Our Christmas 2021 appeal has now closed and we are grateful for the incredible support we received. If you would like to donate then please click the red 'donate' button at the top of this page, or donate here. Devon's patients are ‘in Good Hands’ at Christmas time and every day of the year. Despite the lockdown at the start of the year, our crew has nevertheless delivered uninterrupted time-critical care to hundreds of patients in Devon and beyond, both by critical care car and by aircraft. Though we are still recovering from the impact of the pandemic, which lost £2 million in income last year, we look forward to celebrating our 30th year of service in 2022. Head of Fundraising, Sally Hilton, says: We feel incredibly fortunate to have been so well supported by the people of Devon over the past couple of years. They have truly rallied to help us through some challenging times, but we absolutely welcome the continued support. ‘Our crews deliver time-critical care to trauma and medical incidents every day of the year and well into the hours of darkness, which, during the festive season in particular, arrive earlier with the shorter days.‘ Help us to keep responding Devon Air Ambulance frequently works closely with colleagues in the emergency services to respond to incidents such as road traffic collisions (RTCs), which account for a large percentage of the missions the service is called to every year. For this reason we continue to support nation-wide campaigns such as Project Edward (Every Day Without A Road Death), which took place earlier this year. Dark and inclement winter conditions can present additional risks to motorists, which is why we are foregrounding the story of RTC patient, Sam Lewsey, whose road traffic collision, which happened on his journey to work near Cheriton Bishop, inflicted life-changing injuries several years ago. Sam says: I’ll be forever grateful to Devon Air Ambulance and to those who support them. Your support and donations mean that they have the skills and equipment needed when time is critical and emergency care needs to be delivered at the scene... I know for sure that the sound of those rotor blades filled me with hope and relief. Sam’s is just one of many families who feel Devon Air Ambulance’s advanced care helped them to enjoy subsequent Christmases with their family. Sally Hilton continues: Time and time again we hear how reassured patients feel when they hear the approaching rotation of the aircraft blades because they know they are in good hands. ‘As a charity that is 100% independent of government funding, the funds our supporters raise really do make a lifesaving difference to hundreds of families, friends, colleagues and communities every year and we are very grateful to them for their help keeping us responding.’ Make a lifesaving difference Manage Cookie Preferences