ANOTHER year has flown by and, as I reflect on what we’ve achieved over the past 12 months, it really has been tremendous.

We have gone from strength to strength as a charity, carrying out numerous missions in our new helicopter, which has drastically improved the quality of the service we are able to offer.

There are two key things for me about our new helicopter: the fact we have an extra seat, which allows us to take a parent when we have to airlift a child, and the fact we can now land on elevated helipads.

These two things were important in the case of one-year-old Taran, who was hit by a car in Wiltshire. We were able to fly him straight to the elevated helipad for the Bristol Children’s Hospital with his grandmother.

The generosity and goodwill that our supporters share with us is something that I continue to be amazed by. This year we have seen a rise in regular giving, donations and letters arriving in the charity office, as well as more and more people signing up to our lottery.

In closing, this Christmas I ask that you help spread the word about what we do so that we can continue to provide life-saving care to people when they need it the most.

From me, all the staff and our crew, a very happy Christmas.

JOHN CHRISTENSEN

Chief Executive, Great Western Air Ambulance Charity