MANDY DRAKE Executive Head of Fundraising, Great North Air Ambulance Service
Tell me about your charity?
The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) brings pioneering pre-hospital care to the scene, rescuing hundreds of severely injured or ill patients every year. Our life-saving air ambulance service operates in the North East, North Yorkshire and Cumbria. Our onboard team is usually made up of a pilot, a specialist pre-hospital doctor and a paramedic who not only work on board our helicopters and overnight rapid response cars, but also carry out advanced research and welcome clinicians from all over the world to our centre of excellence for world-class training.
How much do you need to raise a year to survive?
Last year we had to raise £5.3 million per year to survive. In 2020 alone, we responded to 1,262 call-outs throughout our region. Since the pandemic hit, we have had to really rethink the way we do things. The COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent restrictions have cost GNAAS over £350,000 in challenge and events fundraising alone and although we have managed to keep going so far, it has been a constant fight. It is the donations that really keep us operating and with the support of the public we are able to save more lives and carry on easing suffering across the region.
What have been your proudest moments so far?
It really is hard to pin down only a few of our defining moments. However, since I began working at GNAAS, the general development of the charity that I have witnessed is something to be proud of.
Last year, the Jet Suit Paramedic was born. A concept that, if brought through from trial to completion, could see GNAAS paramedics reach patients who have been injured in remote locations in the Lake District. We hope to demonstrate how this can work later in the year. The introduction of our blood on board service has allowed GNAAS to carry out roadside blood and plasma transfusions on patients at the scene. The pioneering scheme was devised by GNAAS doctor, Rachel Hawes OBE in collaboration with Newcastle Hospitals which is also something we’re very proud of.
This year, we launched GNAAS’ first business club in the hopes of uniting businesses across the region, giving them the chance to build lasting relationships and hear from inspirational speakers on a monthly basis.
Membership fees from the club will go towards helping GNAAS continue to provide life-saving critical care to ill or injured patients at a time when the charity has seen a slump in revenue from corporate supporters. How has the influence of women helped to shape the charity’s success? From our female doctors and paramedics, to our executive team, fundraising staff and volunteers, we have many strong and inspiring women in the workforce who have helped shape the charity into what it is today. If it isn’t the ground-breaking research and schemes brought on board by our female doctors, it’s female staff completely revolutionising our teams and the way we do things. Our newest venture, the business club, for instance, was brought into play by our corporate fundraising officer, Leya Baksh, who started with us in 2019.
We have others like Sarah Zissler who joined us in an assistant position and is now our head of fundraising. And there’s lots more new talent coming on board and making a huge difference throughout the charity. It’s a privilege to be a part of. In March’s business club, our guest speakers are all inspirational women from across the North, including one of our own female doctors.
How you can you get involved?
Your donations keep us operating. To help us to continue to save thousands of lives across the region, please visit www.gnaas.com
If your organisation would like to sign up to our business club, hear from inspirational speakers and make connections, please email leya. baksh@gnaas.com
