The week will highlight how air ambulance charities save lives every day right across the UK by bringing the emergency department care directly to the side of patients who are critically ill and injured, because every second counts.

Were calling on members of the public to do something amazing and donate to help us and the UKs air ambulance charities continue to provide lifesaving care now and in the future.

The specialist critical care teams: paramedics, doctors, pilots, engineers and dispatchers provide vital lifesaving care, wherever it is needed.

Each year the UKs 21 air ambulance charities are dispatched to over 25,000 missions, meaning that during Air Ambulance Week there will be nearly 500 patients who are in need of the rapid transportation of the skills and expertise of an air ambulances critical care team, because every second counts.

Air ambulance charities are an emergency service funded almost entirely by you. Your continued support saves the lives of individuals across the UK who are critically ill or injured when they are most in need. Each air ambulance mission costs around £2,500 and is almost entirely funded by donations, as there is no regular direct funding from the Government.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, air ambulance charities have faced many challenges including a significant drop in donations as the economic effects of the pandemic take hold.

Despite this, they have not only continued to provide lifesaving treatment, but have also played a vital role on the frontline response to COVD-19. Their committed teams remain dedicated and ready and able to save lives when someone is having the worst day of their life.