The National Forest Adventure Farm hopes to raise £10,000 to support Midlands Air Ambulance as its Charity of the Year
The National Forest Adventure Farm has recognised Midlands Air Ambulance as its Charity of the Year – in light of which, Crumpet the Cow has been behind the scenes at the critical care charity.
Midlands Air Ambulance has dedicated helicopters based in Shropshire and Worcestershire, as well as Staffordshire, at Tatenhill Airport, which is just minutes from the Adventure Farm. The charity needs to raise £16 million a year in order to keep delivering its lifesaving service, with every air ambulance mission costing around £2,950, while its critical care car call-outs average at £288.
The 40-acre farm, home to the UK’s longest mega slide, will be organising a range of charity events throughout the year to support the charity, with the aim to raise £10,000 to support its essential service. It has plans to host a big farm fundraiser day and cowboy-themed Bingo Bonanza. Staff will also be embarking on the challenge to walk over 23 miles in the Three Peak Challenge, with the total ascent of over 10,000ft including Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in the Lake District, and Snowdon in Wales.
The Adventure Farm’s charitable efforts don’t end there, with it also having recently announced its raising of £6,042.33 last year for Kids’ Village – the UK’s first holiday village for critically ill children and their families, located in Wychnor, between Burton and Lichfield.
Farmer Tom Robinson, who owns the farm alongside his brother Ivor, said: “Each year we pick a local charity to support and have raised over £30,000 in the last few years with charity events, sponsored challenges, and fundraising.
“Based only a few miles down the road, the Midlands Air Ambulance provides a vital service helping to save hundreds of lives every year. As we celebrate 15 years of the National Forest Adventure Farm this year, we all felt it was the perfect time to do something big to mark the occasion. 12 of us will be tackling the UK’s three largest mountains as part of the Three Peaks Challenge, and five will also be lacing up their running shoes for a half marathon.
“The £10,000 target will be a lot, but the Midlands Air Ambulance is such a fantastic cause that we are passionate about raising as much as we can to make a difference.”
The Midlands Air Ambulance saves an average of 10 lives each day, providing vital pre-hospital care to people in critical situations. Each aircraft carries a crew including a pilot and two paramedics or a paramedic and flight doctor, as well as full life-support medical equipment. Three rapid response vehicles are also deployed when the helicopters are unable to fly, due to bad weather, for example.
For more information on the Adventure Farm’s charity plans or how to sponsor events is available by emailing shannon@adventurefarm.co.uk.