THE Wiltshire Air Ambulance Charitable Trust has announced a new chairman of its board of trustees and a new president.

Mandy Clarke is now chairman of the charity's board of trustees having been a trustee since the charity was formed in October 2011

She was unanimously elected chairman for the next three years succeeding Richard Youens.

Mr Youens, of Rushall, will become president of the charity for the next three years and will continue as a trustee and chairman of the finance committee.

As well as these new appointments the charity is also set to take on a new helicopter, a Bell 429, the first of its kind to operate as an air ambulance in the UK.

The charity’s costs will increase from £700,000 a year to £2.5million a year from January 2015 when its partnership with Wiltshire Police ends this December and their previously shared helicopter joins the National Police Air Service.

Mrs Clarke said: “The people of Wiltshire are very generous in their support for Wiltshire Air Ambulance and we still need their support and to raise vital funds for us.

“Even a little bit makes a difference. It’s down to the people of Wiltshire that we are still here and flying for them.”