Great Western Air Ambulance Charity’s Ride4GWAAC Sunday 15th July

Motorbikers are invited to the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity’s (GWAAC) third Ride Out event, taking place next Sunday 15^th July. Families are also welcome to the free festival that will follow the Ride Out.

At 10am on Sunday, hundreds of motorbikers will be taking to the roads of Bristol to ride a wonderful route around the city in aid of GWAAC. The event has been a great success for the last two years, and the team at GWAAC are very much looking forward to this year’s Ride Out. All the funds raised at this event will go towards the charity, helping to ensure the life-saving service remains operational.

Mel Rowbottom who is a Freewheeler is going to be leading the Ride Out on Sunday. Freewheelers are a team of volunteers who deliver lifesaving blood and plasma to us every day of the year. Known as the Blood Bikes, they are all bikers who work tirelessly to carry this and other medical items across the South West.

Mel said: “I am really looking forward to leading GWAAC’s third Ride Out. It is a really important event to Freewheelers as it significantly represents the close connection between the air ambulance and motorcyclists. Some riders on the 15^th or their families or friends would have been saved by the doctors and paramedics working at GWAAC. Freewheeler volunteers deliver the vital blood and plasma, every night of the year, that they need to do that lifesaving work. Plus, the Ride4GWAAC event is a fun day out for all the family and a wonderful ride around Bristol!”

Following the ride around Bristol, bikers, families and GWAAC crew will be enjoying some live music, food & drink and entertainment at the St Mary’s Old Boys Rugby Club in Bradley Stoke. This will be starting at 12 noon.

We can look forward to stall holders including GWAAC’s Heart Starters; Bristol Advanced Motorcyclists; Freewheelers; Riders and Great Western Chapters. We have activities including Sand Art Kids Entertainment; fairground rides (provided by Allianz); Ducati Be Wiser and a bouncy castle! Great music to be expected from bands such as Ride the Edge and Tongue & Groove; and if you are hungry and thirsty we will have Delicious Diner, StrEat Pizza and Mmm! Coffee.

GWAAC provide the air ambulance and critical care service across Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, North Somerset and surrounding areas. We operate 365 days a year from our helicopter or Critical Care Cars, providing life-saving support to 2.1 million people, and ensuring a Critical Care Doctor and Specialist Paramedic in Critical Care are on the scene as fast as possible. We receive no day-to-day funding from the Government, relying on fundraising and donations to raise over £3 million which is needed each year. By taking part in Ride4GWAAC you’ll be helping us continue to save lives.

Remember you can still buy tickets! Click here to register to ride. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at info@gwaac.com

ENDS

Notes for editors

• In 2018 the charity celebrates ten years since its first flight.
• The GWAAC critical care team consists of a highly trained and experienced Critical Care Paramedic and Doctor, who bring the skill and expertise of an Accident and Emergency Department to the patient.
• In 2017 the Critical Care Team attended 1,824 jobs: by helicopter and by one of our critical care cars.

For further information, contact:

Lucy Munn

PR & Digital Communications Coordinator

07484 906493

lucy.munn@gwaac.com

www.greatwesternairambulance.com

@GWAAC