Cornwall Air Ambulance is urgently appealing to the public for donations from new and existing supporters to help the charity to continue responding to seriously sick and injured patients during Covid-19.

Cornwall Air Ambulance is set to lose a massive £1.5m by the end of the year due to the closure of its charity shops, community fundraising and the closure of tourism. This could start to have huge consequences for the charity and the people of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. This sustained lack of fundraising income could mean the charity has to take steps to reduce the cost of operating the service, which could include reducing the number of hours the helicopter flies every day. Future lives depend on ensuring the helicopter can fly to as many people as possible every single day.

The charity has welcomed the recent announcement of a government grant for air ambulance charities, however it does not yet have confirmation of how much Cornwall will receive, and with 21 air ambulance charities UK wide there is a risk that the support will paper over the cracks of the cost of trying to keep the life-saving service going during Covid-19.

Air Operations Officer, Steve Garvey, said: We dont want anyone to be left behind because of the knock-on impact of this pandemic. We have a brand-new aircraft, with increased capabilities, we want to make sure we can continue to use it to its full potential. But the reality is, without the funding we need, we might have to look at changes in the way we operate in the future. The aircrew have worked hard to keep flying during the pandemic, and we have adapted our ways of working and the protective measures in the helicopter. With your help we will be able to continue to bring the level of care we currently do to as many seriously sick and injured patients as possible.