This May, my dog Max and I are lacing up for "Whirlybird Walkies" in support of the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) https://www.greatnorthairambulance.co.uk/ for their “Operation SOS – Secure Our Service”. Our aim is to walk 100 miles during the month of May, which should be more than achievable given the amount of walks we do!

GNAAS are based near to where we live, in Eaglescliffe near Teesside airport, and whilst we regularly visit their cafe/shop, and attend events such as car/bike meets to try and support them, I've decided to fundraise for them too.

GNAAS relies entirely on public donations, with a staggering £25,959 needed each day to keep its life-saving service in the air. Every day this month, we'll be logging miles, and raising essential funds to keep those whirlybirds flying!

Based both at Eaglescliffe and Langwathby (near Penrith) they cover around 8,000 square miles. A helicopter flying from the Eaglescliffe airdesk can reach emergencies with flying times :

Middlesbrough – 4 minutes

Northallerton – 5 minutes

Stanhope – 11 minutes

Sunderland – 12 minutes

Newcastle – 14 minutes

Their helicopters are however ageing and maintenance costs are becoming more costly, so they are looking to raise funding to aim for £2.5 million to secure the deposit on a 3rd helicopter.

They also operate fleets of rapid response vehicles to allow medics to respond if aircraft are unable to fly such as extreme weather conditions.

Please do support this cause if you can. Every penny helps!

Thank you from Max and Tanya