Scottish Hydro is helping Scotland’s first charity air ambulance service get off the ground with £200K of funding.
The Scottish Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) helicopter will be based at Scone Airport, Perth, and will enhance the country’s existing government-funded emergency air fleet which comprises two helicopters and two-fixed wing aircraft based at Glasgow, Inverness and Aberdeen.
The charity air ambulance needs to raise £1.5m every year from public and private donations to provide the emergency service. The sponsorship will not only provide a much needed funding boost for SCAA, but also enable Perth-based Scottish Hydro to support a worthy cause located on its doorstep.
SCAA Chairman, John Bullough, is delighted with the sponsorship agreement. He said: “Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance will be the people’s air ambulance and support from businesses such as Scottish Hydro - and donations from the public - are key to launching and sustaining this vital service.
“We’re thrilled to have Scottish Hydro, a local company to Perth, on board as a key sponsor and can’t wait to officially mark the start of the SCAA operations next month.”
Michelle Hynd, Director, Corporate Infrastructure and Development, at Scottish Hydro added: “Scottish Hydro has a long established presence in the north of Scotland and supporting and investing in the communities where we live and work is integral to our business activities. We recognise that corporate business and social well-being in communities can be interdependent.
“We are delighted to support this new service that will not only provide an essential life-saving service to the Tayside and Perthshire areas but will also be available across the country, further strengthening the emergency air services provision inScotland.”
This new air ambulance service, although charitably funded, will be tasked by the Scottish Ambulance Service and crewed by its paramedics. SCAA will be completely charity funded and not receive funds from statutory sources.