New Trustees for Air Ambulance

8^th November 2018

Air Ambulance appoints new Trustees

Claire Smith and Andy Tunningley were appointed as Trustees of Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) at a recent board meeting. At the same meeting Clare Dobie, who stepped down as a Trustee after nearly ten years’ service, was thanked for her commitment and support for the Charity.

Claire Smith and her husband Robert have been friends of EHAAT since a Critical Care Team attended their baby Milli when she was less than a day old. Claire, a lawyer, was a partner in the private client division of a commercial law firm, before taking a career break in 2016 to have her daughter.

In addition to sitting on other charity boards, Claire is a director of her own company and Company Secretary of a family farming business on the Essex/Hertfordshire border.

She said: “I am deeply passionate about seeing EHAAT flourish in the future, having had direct experience of the amazing work of the Charity in the past, when they attended our home to treat my daughter - the service is a vital community resource”.

Andy Tunningley works in the City of London for BlackRock Asset Management, commuting from Witham in Essex, a journey he has done for more years than he has not! Andy will bring a wealth of finance experience with him and has already been involved as a member of the Charity’s Investment Advisory Committee.

He said: “Having raised money from sporting endeavours for other charities and children’s hospitals, I was looking for an opportunity to get more involved. I am delighted to be a part of the EHAAT family and support them in the best way I can”.

EHAAT Chief Executive Officer Jane Gurney said: “I would like to thank Clare Dobie for all her hard work and support during her time as a Trustee. Her input from a financial and marketing perspective has been invaluable.

“I’m delighted to welcome both Claire Smith and Andy Tunningley to our Board of Trustees and look forward to working with them. They each bring with them a wealth of business experience and a real passion for the work of the Charity.”

-ENDS-

Photographs: Claire Smith, Andy Tunningley

For more information please contact the Communications Team on 0345 2417 690.

Notes to Editor:

Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) is a Charity that provides a Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) for the critically ill and injured of Essex, Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas.

The service is provided free of charge but, unlike NHS emergency services, the Charity receives no direct funding from the Government or National Lottery. It costs £500,000 every month to keep the service operational and saving lives, and this would not be possible without the generosity and goodwill of people and businesses of Essex, Hertfordshire and beyond.

Each of the Charity’s HEMS teams consist of two Pilots, a Pre-hospital Care Doctor and a Critical Care Paramedic.

These teams, made up of highly-skilled individuals, tended to 1077 patients in 2016 and are the backbone of your local life-saving Charity.

The fleet, consisting of two Air Ambulances, and four Rapid Response Vehicles (RRVs - cars) operates seven days a week from 7am to 9pm. After sunset, the Critical Care Team continues to provide the service using Rapid Response Vehicles.

In addition, a Rapid Response Vehicle is operational on a Friday and Saturday evening from 6pm until 2am with a Pre-hospital Care Doctor and Critical Care Paramedic.