Urgent air ambulance appeal boosted by 'double your donation' gesture

This means anyone donating during this period will see the value of their donation doubled for free, raising £400K in total thanks to this exciting match-funding initiative.

This incredible match-funding boost will really help KSS to raise the vital funds towards the £1M target needed to purchase, instead of lease, its second helicopter by the end of May.

Owning its helicopter will save the charity around half a million pounds a year. This saving will enable KSS to fly for six more hours a day, meaning its specialist lifesaving crews can reach more patients and save even more lives.

The cost saving will also enable the future development of the charity's ability to fly in more challenging weather conditions as well as their ability to grow their Patient and Family Aftercare Service and introduce more community prevention and education activities.

Kelly Heaton-Ralph, Executive Director of Fundraising and Philanthropy at KSS, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by incredible response of our communities to our urgent appeal which has just raced past the half a million pounds mark.

“And now our appeal is entering an even more exciting phase! Thanks to the extraordinary kindness of a long-term local supporter the next £200K in donations on the appeal page of our website, no matter the size, will be doubled by their generosity. This means that if you give £10 your donation will be doubled to £20 towards buying our air ambulance.”

“We’re so grateful to our long-term supporter for providing this exciting match-funding boost, and to the many thousands of people in our communities right cross Kent, Surrey and Sussex, who have donated to our urgent appeal so far.

“But, there’s still a way to go to raise the vital funds towards the £1 million we need by the end of May to buy our air ambulance so that we can reach more patients and save more lives. That’s why we hope as many people as possible will get behind this amazing match-funding initiative to double the value of their donation for free to help us buy our air ambulance, which is a genuine lifeline for our communities, and help keep more loved ones together.”

As well as this incredible match-funding boost, anyone donating £100 or more can have their name, name of a friend or family member, team, community group or business, or the name of a loved one in their memory, on the air ambulance – making them a part of every lifesaving mission.

To donate to the appeal and to secure one of the limited number of spaces visit aakss.org.uk/helicopter

As part of the appeal the charity has also launched an exciting free competition giving schools and youth groups the unique opportunity to name both its air ambulance helicopters. A panel of judges will pick the winning names, which the helicopters will become affectionately known as. The names will be also emblazoned on the helicopters for all to see.

Entering the competition is quick and easy. Schools and youth groups just need to come up with their chosen name and simply complete their entry form at aakss.org.uk/NameOurHeli by Friday, May 24 (a limit of one entry per school class or youth group applies). The winners will be announced in early June.