Put The Fun Into Fundraising

We have a fantastic team of runners taking part in the famous London Marathon event this year, challenging themselves to run 26.2miles through the capital whilst raising vital funds to help keep us flying and saving lives.

With 24 days to go, here are 24 top fundraising ideas to help top up your total:

Birthday coming up?

Ask for donations towards your sponsorship instead of presents or a card. If you have an online fundraising page you can post it on your Facebook page, or email it out to all of your family and friends.

Dress down days     

These work well in schools or in the work place, charge each person £1/£2 to come in for the day in no uniform or casual dress.

Skills auction

This works really well in the workplace, get your colleagues to donate their 'skills' from dressmaking to tea making and everything in between! Get your boss to offer to make the tea or wash someone's car and watch the bidding shoot up!

Book and CD swap  

Set up a stall in the office and ask everyone to bring in their old books and CD's. They can donate a few pounds to swap them for something different. You never know what they might find.

Charity car wash      

A fundraising car wash is simple to organise, fun to do, and is a great way to raise funds. You could offer to wash colleagues cars in your lunch hour. People might donate more to see you complete the task in fancy dress.

Cake sale

Bake some cakes and set up a cake and bake sale at your home/work place or school. You could also serve hot and cold drinks to increase revenue. Remember to cook a wide selection of different cakes to cater for all tastes.    

Office lottery

Run this fundraiser as weekly event and watch the kitty build up. You need 20 people to enter, with each person paying £1 for a lottery number (1-20). If their number gets picked out the hat they win half the money and the charity gets the other half. Not a big money maker but if you do this every week the money soon adds up. You could also increase the number of entrants if you work in as large office.

Sports day    

Organise a special sports day for the local community, you can lay on a host of different events from egg and spoon to relay. This is a great way to fundraise especially if you can do a range of different events that cater for all ages. You can charge people an entrance fee to take part in the different events with the winners getting a medal or prize. You could even set up a refreshments stall to bring in more money.

Coffee morning

Why not throw on the kettle and bake a cake, all in the name of charity? With little outlay, this is a guaranteed success, simply ask your friends, family and work colleagues for a donation in return for coffee and slice of homemade cake.

Garage sale  

Ask friends and family to bring in their unwanted items and sell it, it could make someone else's treasure.                                                             

Ten pin bowling

Easy to organise, if you’ve got a local bowling hall. Charge for entry and award a small prize to the winning team. Or run a marathon sponsored bowling competition.                                   

Tombola        

Run a tombola stand at a local event. Collect prizes from suppliers, colleagues and friends before the day. Give everyone plenty of notice to donate prizes.

Bingo 

keep it simple, invite a group of family and friends for a fun game of bingo, you can do as many games as you like and charge people per bingo card per game and offer small prizes to those who are first to get a full house.                    

Shoe shinning          

Offer shoes shinning at lunchtime at your work place.

Movie night                                         

Show videos at your house and charge family and friends admission, you could make your own concessions and sell those too.

Zumba night             

Ask your local gym if they would be willing to put on a special spin/zumba/yoga or any other class that happens in your area, and add donate proceeds to your fund. Alternatively they could add £1 to normal class price which is donated to you.

Discount       

Talk to the people who work at some of the places you visit regularly. Maybe your favourite restaurant or bar would be willing to give you a discount for a party or a donation per person or per drink sold.

Give it up      

Give up something until the marathon. Whether it's coffee, chocolate or texting, give it up and add the money you would have spent towards your fundraising goal.

Sponsorship forms 

Make sure that you carry your sponsorship forms with you at all times during the lead up to the marathon. As it gets closer people will want to know how you are getting on and if you can get them to sponsor you there and then it makes it easier for both of you.

Fine jar          

Put a fine jar in your office/home/school and write a list of rules and charges, when someone breaks a rule they have to pay the according charge. (for example, being late, forgetting to say please or thank you, swearing or mentioning a nominated forbidden word/phrase, using your left hand to drink etc.)

Smartie tubes

Wirte to/visit a local store and ask if they would kindly donate a number of tubes of Smarties to support your challenge and help you fundraise for a lifesaving cause. If you hand these out to colleagues/staff/friends and family and ask them to fill them with10p pieces before returning them to you.

Write about it

Create a blog, detailing your final weeks of preparation.Talk about your nerves/excitement, final training activities, what you are looking forward to and what you are might be worried about. At the bottom of each blog post attach a link to your online fundraising page and then post your blog pieces on Facebook and Twitter. This will make people feel more involved with your journey, engage them with your challenge and perhaps make them more likely to donate.

I hope at least one of these top ideas has inspired you to organise your own exciting fundraising activity. For further ideas, news and some positive fundraising stories please visit our website.

Spring is in the air... At Landing Pad

It might be snowy and cold outside but spring is in the air at the fabulous Air Ambulance cafe, Landing Pad. The Daventry based coffee shop which raises money to help keep our Air Ambulance in the skies and saving lives has launched it's spring menu; with fresh salads and the brand new Agusta burger to tempt your tastebuds alongside the usual irrestible cakes (and of course hot drinks to keep you warm until the snow melts!).

The Air Ambulance coffee shop, Landing Pad opened its doors in May 2012 and has gone from strength to strength since day one.

It is a bright and vibrant coffee shop where not only can you treat yourself to a gorgeous array of hot and cold drinks but you can refuel with one of our freshly made paninis, bagettes or sandwiches;  both whist helping us to keep saving lives.

We are now launching our new Spring menu, complimenting the existing offerings with salads and the scrumptious Agusta burger.

So, if you want to help save lives in the most relaxing manner, pop along to Landing Pad, 29a High Street, Daventry and treat yourself.

You can also call 01327 877188 too place your order by phone for collection at your convenience.

My Barking Mad Challenge!

As you look out at the white winterland, spare a thought for Jordan Sinclair who will soon be getting to grips with a lot more of the white stuff when she sets off on a husky challenge - covering over 200km across Norway in a sled. Jordan has taken up the challenge in aid of Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance, after they saved her life in 2011. This is her story.

A vet student’s life is pretty hectic as it is, but mine is nothing less than jam-packed - and it’s only the first year! In between studies, I’ve been squeezing in gym sessions, cycling, swimming, riding and walking to get fit, while networking to try and get everyone I know to part with some cash to support a fantastic cause. And why?

Well, two years ago, my life was a bit different. In 2011, I had a horrific riding accident. Crushed by a horse, I sustained life-threatening injuries. I broke 12 ribs, each in multiple places, punctured one lung and the other collapsed. Suffocating from the inside, the Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance crew saved my life by operating on site and arriving at the scene with such speed. I then spent 2 weeks in Intensive Care and a month in hospital altogether. I also broke my collar bone and suffered damage to the sciatic nerve, reducing the movement of my left foot.

My accident delayed my start at Glasgow Vet School, so I decided to start volunteering for the Air Ambulance during my involuntary gap year. I helped out in one of their local charity shops, attended bucket collections and even made a trip to the Houses of Commons to tell my story. Although I’m now out of the local area, I still wanted to help raise money for the charity, so they can continue saving lives like they saved mine. As a result, I went for something a little more extreme...
In April, I’ll be pushing myself to the limit and mushing a sled of Huskies across 200km of Norwegian landscape. During the expedition, I’ll be facing tough conditions and physical challenges. While I know it will be demanding - I’ve been getting thoroughly excited sorting out all the kit I’ll need to take.

In preparation, I’ve had lots of help from family and friends. Only I can train to improve my fitness, but charity fundraising has been much more communal. Bucket collections, selling bedding plants, non-uniform days at local schools or hand-made Christmas decorations - you name it, we’ve done it. The latest venture for the last leg of money will be homemade Valentine’s Day cupcakes. I’m on target with fundraising at the minute and hope to exceed the target with a final push over the next couple of months before the trip.

I'll let you know how I get on afterwards!

What is vintage?

Here at The Air Ambulance Service, we pride ourselves on being at the cutting edge of what we do - and we apply this to our ever expanding retail department. From our Air Ambulance coffee shop, Landing Pad, to our Air Ambulance couture store in Solihull, we pride ourselves on offering people fantastic quality products at a low price - and all while helping to raise money to save lives. Excitingly for you fashionistas out there, we're now also expanding into vintage. For those not so up with fashion, one of our volunteers has kindly written a blog piece about vintage fashion, enjoy!

Vintage fashion is huge. More and more vintage shops are popping up all over the high street to meet the demands of people wanting clothing that is different from the mainstream but without a hefty price tag.

Vintage is all about reliving the fabulous trends of the past but updating them so they still fit in with contemporary fashion. Some garments may seem ugly to one person but be treasure to someone else – that’s just how fashion is sometimes.

It’s not all about old fashioned clothes. Take florals for example: vintage is full of ditsy little flowers right up to big bold blooms. In any high street shop, almost any season, florals will be the main prints on show. They’re nearly always at the height of fashion so vintage can offer a wide range of floral items as an alternative to the high street.

Vintage also offers a range of classic items such as fur coats. Brand new fur coats can cost loads of money so having the choice of buying the more affordable vintage fur coats is great.

Fashion trends are always being revived too. Moschino’s spring summer 2013 collection was heavily inspired by the 60s: the collection featured simple block designs in striking contrast colours. Original 60s vintage sales will have increased because of the revival of this trend so it’s always worth keeping vintage items from different decades as chances are they’ll be back in fashion again soon.

Think of vintage as having the individual exclusivity of designer clothing but without the substantial price tag – this is probably the main reason why it’s become such a massive industry. People are beginning to break out of the conformity shell and are looking for ways to express their individuality through clothing. Vintage has well and truly stepped up and will hopefully continue to be awesome for a long time to come.
If you have an eye for vintage and an interest in fashion, why not become one of our volunteers? We're always on the look out for people to join our team so get in touch now.

Pedal to the Medal - Raising money for The Children's Air Ambulance: Day One

A few days ago we blogged about Sam Levey, who is riding in betweenn all the postboxes pained Gold in honour of our Olympians in order to raise money for The Children's Air Ambulance. Sam kicked off his incredibly tough challenge yesterday (17th March) and over the course of this journey he will be blogging for us so that we can experience his ups and downs of his feat.

Day One

Well, one day of cycling done and I feel done in. I knew it would be hard, I knew there would be hills, I knew there would be bad weather - but yesterday was awful.

From a very positive start in Elgin I set off in dry and still conditions to Lossiemouth. All good. Then I turned around, got on the A96 and rode pretty much uphill into an awful headwind the entire way to Dyce. One thing I did discover, Aberdeenshire is big. Like, absolutely massive.

Had one technical issue which resulted in a hissy fit. Shortly after lunch I climbed about 3 miles continuously away from Huntly through a blizzard and got a pleasant surprise seeing a 26 miles to Aberdeen sign, then disaster struck. I say disaster, my chain slipped off. Not the end of the world I hear you say, but I lost it. Hands covered in oil, freezing cold and being rained on with 3 hours riding to go. Tantrum time!

Anyways, I got back on my bike and kept talking myself up hills, through the wind and cursing myself for having such a dumb idea. I made it though.

Warmed up, ate well, rested and made a couple of phone calls which helped a lot. It may only have been a 75 mile day but I think it'll be my worst. If not my actual worst, the top 3 is a definite.

Longer ride today, 85 through Aberdeen for Katherine Grainger and Tim Baillie's boxes, then down to Dundee. Recovery has gone well and I'm feeling pretty positive again so let's get this thing done.
To quote Friday Night Lights and rehash my mantra of the day, Clear eyes, full hearts. Can't lose.

You can support Sam by sponsoring him for his challenge, you can also keep up to date with his challenge on Twitter.

Why do Air Ambulances airlift horse riders?

Yesterday amateur jockey JT McNamara was airlifted to hospital after sustaining a serious injury when he came off his horse while riding at Cheltenham. Here at The Air Ambulance Service, horse riding accidents are one of our most common call outs. So why are Air Ambulances often called to airlifted horse riders?

1) Horse riding incidents can cause serious neck and back injuries which often need treating at spinal units. Air Ambulances ensure that the rider can get to these specialist units as soon as possible - we aim to take the patient to the hospital that can provide them with the most suitable treatment for their injuries rather than the nearest.

2) We provide advanced medical care at the scene of incidents which means that we can administer lifesaving pre-hospital care before and while the patient is on the way to his or her way hospital. For example, we regularly carry doctors on board our aircrafts: doctors can anaethetise casualties at the scene, inducing them into a medical coma which will help stabilise the patient for the journey.

3) Horse riding accidents often happen in remote locations. Whether it's on a remote farm or out in the fields, it can be difficult for a land ambulance to reach an injured horse rider. An Air Ambulance has the advantage of being able to land in a field close to the patient, meaning that they can get the treatment they need as soon as possible and will soon be on their way to hospital.

So there you go, next time you read one of our rescue missions reports (which can be found on our website!) of an horse riding incident, you'll have a better understanding of just why an Air Ambulance was so vital at such an accident.

Busy year for Air Ambulances

2012 was another busy year for our Air Ambulances. Both Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance and Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance were busy protecting the people of the East Midlands and Warwickshire from the air with our hard working Air Ambulance paramedics attending approximately 1,800 rescue missions between them. We've compiled some accident statistics for you about last year so you can see what it is an Air Ambulance does and why it's so important to keep on donating to our vital charity.

Road traffic collisions

Road accidents were the number one call out for both our Air Ambulances in 2012. Motorcyclists, pedestrians, car accidents, lorries, cyclists, you name it. In total 41% of all accidents attended by our Air Ambulance paramedics and doctors were road accidents.

Read about Anthony Brooks who was rescued by our Air Ambulance after a road accident in February 2012.

Cardiac

Just under 12% of incidents attended by our Air Ambulances were of a cardiac nature - calls to people suffering illnesses such as heart attacks. Our paramedics and doctors help to bring advanced clinical care to people suffering from lifethreatening cardiac problems to help improve their chances of survival and recovery.

Equestrian

Our Air Ambulances often get called to horse riding accidents as by their nature they happen in remote locations and often involve serious injuries such as back and neck damage. In 2012, 9% of the accidents attended by Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance were equestrian incidents.

Falls

Another common rescue mission call out is to people who have injured themselves by falling - whether our walking and climbing in the Peaks or from a ladder while doing some DIY. Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance in particular get called to a lot of falls giving their proximity to the Peak District, with 11% of accidents attended by the Air Ambulance involving a fall.

Read about Robin Bradshaw who was injured in a fall and taken to hospital by Air Ambulance in January 2012.

Sports

From rugby to football, our Air Ambulances have landed on many sports pitches in the last year. 8% of rescue missions, which is approximately 150, were sports related accidents in 2012.






So there's a brief summary of what our Air Ambulances did in 2012. We could go on and on about their fantastic achievements so for more information, and to read all about their latest rescue missions, make sure you check out our website - and remember all of this lifesaving work is funded by people like you!

To donate, text TAAS01 £5 to 70070. Thanks.

Pedal To The Medal

Much has been said about the legacy of the London 2012 Olympics and one person that the Games has certainly inspired is Sam Levey, who has set himself an incredible Olympic themed cycling challenge in order to raise money for The Children’s Air Ambulance (TCAA).

Sam, 26, from Bolton, has set himself the gruelling challenge of cycling in between all of the golden post boxes that were painted in honour of the Team GB – covering a total of over 2,500 miles.

The epic journey will be starting in Lossiemouth, Scotland on Sunday 17/03/2013, at Heather Stanning’s postbox and will take in all 50 of the post boxes such as super-Olympian Chris Hoy, Sports Personality of the Year, Bradley Wiggins and Olympic Golden Girl Jess Ennis, finishing at Helen Glover’s box in Penzance. With just 10 days to go Sam tells us about his final preparations:

 

"Here we are, 10 days and counting…The plan has always been to start a blog, so why not start here..."

 

...First things first; Am I ready? Physically, I think so. I’ve been in the gym or on the road pretty much every day for months and can cope with both the exercise and recovery aspects of the challenge. However (isn’t there always a but), there’s no real way of knowing whether I’m fit enough to ride an average of 85miles a day for 4 weeks until I’m actually doing it. Long story short, it’ll be hard but I’m confident.

On the organisation side I’m still a little way off done. I’ve got my train ticket to Elgin booked for Saturday 16^th March at 10.33 from Bolton, and at last count I have 9 confirmed overnight accommodations sorted (massive thanks to @emilia_violet who replied to a stranger’s request on Twitter and is hosting me in Durham – it staggers me how kind some people are), obviously leaving a pretty hefty 19 still not fixed up. Some very kind family and friends have agreed to arrange me a room for the night in hotels en route, so that’ll be 11 more covered if needed, however I’m still waiting to hear back from a couple of options and friends-of-friends that might put me up so I won’t be booking those until the very last minute (yes, I know, 10 days to go)!
 

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company has been fantastic and has donated my return ferry journey from Liverpool, so a huge thank you to Brian Convery who facilitated the whole thing. Top bloke.

There’s also the little matter of a train journey from Penzance that I need to book as well!

Equipment-wise I’ll pretty well set (though if anyone wants to donate stuff that’d be great). My TCAA cycling jersey is on order and we’re just waiting on it being completed and delivered, which I’m very excited about. It looks awesome and will help me not get run-over on the way.

All-in-all I’m excited, pretty nervous but very keen to get it started. 10 days to go…what have I got myself in for.

To sign off, for now, I’d just like to ask for your support. If anybody wants to join me along the way then give me a shout and I’ll send a copy of my route, and if anyone has, or knows of, a spare bed then please let me know (locations and dates are at the bottom of the page).

 

Thanks,

Sam Levey
 

Twitter handle @Pedal_Medal

My e-mail address srelevey@gmail.com

My Just Giving page www.justgiving.com/samlevey

 

16/3/13 Elgin, 17/3/13 Dyce, 18/3/13 Dundee, 19/3/13 Dunfermline, 20/3/13 Jedburgh, 22/3/13 Grassington, 28/3/13 Sheffield, 30/3/13 Stafford, 31/3/13 Royal Leamington Spa, 1/4/13 Gloucester, 3/4/13 Bedford, 5/4/13 Camberley, 6/4/13 Andover, 7/4/13 Yeovil, 8/4/13 Newport, 9/4/13 Weston-Super-Mare, 10/4/13 Okehampton, 11/4/13 Falmouth