Dedicated and generous members of the public have been praised by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, for getting its Operation Airbase appeal total to £1 million for Christmas.

A pledge worth £100,000 from The Vinehill Trust, a recent £300,000 donation from the HELP Appeal and a £3,500 donation from former patient and current charity volunteer, James Cattrall, has helped get the charity to its festive milestone. The charity needs to raise £3.6 million in total.

James, who was 31 at the time, was attended to by the air ambulance team when he was involved in a high-speed road traffic collision on the B3349 near Alton in 2022. He sustained devastating life-threatening injuries, including numerous fractured ribs, a fractured sternum, a fractured lower leg, a fractured arm and a fractured pelvis.

The charity also recognises the remarkable role of individuals, community groups and local organisations in bringing it to £1 million in just 14 weeks.

Operation Airbase is the charity’s biggest fundraising appeal in its 17-year history, as it prepares to relocate from its current airbase in Thruxton, Andover, to a site near Southampton Airport.

The move will mean the highly experienced doctors and paramedics can reach almost every patient in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight within 10 minutes of take-off – in contrast to the current time of 20 minutes or more for some.

70% of the charity’s call-outs are to the south: Winchester, Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight – a considerable distance from the current airbase which sits on the north-western edge of Hampshire.

James said:

“Without the team that treated me, I wouldn’t be here to enjoy Christmas with my family. I’m incredibly grateful to them and to everyone who donates and supports the air ambulance in any way they can. Without them, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Keith Wilson, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance Director of Income and Engagement, said:

“This is a present beyond our wildest expectations. Every single person that has contributed to our total so far is making a difference to lives in our community. The time saved on a mission could mean the difference between life and death, or between a patient returning home to their loved ones in a condition that allows them to be the person they were before the incident. Thank you to everyone for their support so far. We can’t wait to have you all on this journey with us and our patients.”