We are a group of 9 women talking part in Endure24 on 8-9th June 2024 near Reading. Endure24 is a 24 hour running event, which involves running round an off road hilly 5 mile loop. Claire, Becky, Lucy, Vickie and Katy have entered as a team of 5. They are aiming for a team effort of 125 miles. Lou, Hayley, Cris and Linda have entered as solo runners and are all going to see how far they can go in 24 hours.

We are supporting the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC). Every donation helps them save more lives by providing emergency pre-hospital care for seriously ill and injured patients across the region. In 2023 the Critical Care Team was called to over 1,979 incidents making it their second-busiest year on record. On average, thye attend around five incidents every day, but some days it’s many more.

GWAAC sends the skills and equipment found in a hospital Emergency Department to the scene of the most serious medical and trauma incidents. Whether by helicopter or critical care car, it rapidly dispatches a specialist team to people in urgent need of critical care. From re-starting hearts to giving blood at the scene of an accident, GWAAC’s Critical Care Team can perform lifesaving procedures, all before the patient reaches the hospital, giving them a better chance of survival.

Some of the team visited the GWAAC airbase in February to learn more about the charity. We got to hear first hand about the incredible lifesaving work the charity do from one of their critical care doctors, Andrew Heavyside. We also got to meet one of their pilots and hear from Charlie, head of fundraising.