The keys for a vital life-saving vehicle were officially handed over to the Great North Air Ambulance.
The cash for the service’s new rapid response vehicle was raised thanks to a Cumbrian superstar – Max the miracle dog.
Springer spaniel Max, his owner Kerry Irving and his other companions Paddy and Harry, have raised around £600,000 for charities over the years – and this latest donation is part of Max’s legacy.
The quartet captured the world’s hearts and there was international grief when Max died in April. But a series of events in his memory raised £120,000 – enough to pay for a rapid response vehicle.
The service’s critical care team received the vehicle at its fundraising event, A Christmas Tail, at The Old Pencil Factory in Keswick, on Saturday, attended by more than 1.200 people.
The new Volvo XC90 proudly displays Max’s pawprint.
Kerry presented the keys to Lee Salmon, head of operations west, along with several members of the critical care team.
Kerry said: “Max our springer spaniel was there when I needed him and saved my life from depression. Max’s popularity went on to help thousands of other people up until he passed away in April.
“Helping others in need is the greatest gift we can all give and our community funded critical care vehicle given to GNAAS today, will help thousands of people in their hour of need.”
Since May 2021, a doctor and paramedic team from GNAAS have been operating on a rapid response vehicle on Friday and Saturday nights in Cumbria and have currently responded to more than 280 incidents.
The team carry the same equipment that is on the aircraft, which operates during the daytime, meaning they can deliver the same level of care, including anaesthetic procedures, surgery, and blood transfusions.
The charity hopes it will eventually become a 24/7 service, but in order to achieve this goal, it needs more resilience in their fleet and 4×4 capability.
The current Volvos at the charity are now four years old and have covered more than 100,000 miles, and when they require servicing or maintenance repairs, the team rely on Skoda vehicles which don’t have the same capabilities as a 4×4 or SUV.
By having an additional Volvo in the fleet, which will be moved into frontline service, this means the team now have an older Volvo as a back-up which has the specifications needed to meet the current demands of the team.
Lee said: “Kerry has raised a phenomenal amount of money for GNAAS and I am humbled that the Max Out in the Lake District community will help us to continue saving lives throughout Cumbria. It’s an honour to have Max’s pawprint on the vehicle, knowing his legacy lives on through our life-saving work.”
