People are warned not to take the Great North Air Ambulance Service for granted as donations to the charity drop significantly.
The service said its fundraising appeal had fallen significantly behind target, raising only half of what was achieved at this point in 2024.
The charity, which provides life-saving care to critically ill and injured people across the North of England and the Isle of Man, relies on donations from the public to remain operational.
It is reminding the public to not take the service for granted, as without people’s support, it could potentially stop flying, and lives would be lost.
It costs £9.3 million a year – or around £25,000 a day – to fund the service, which is all paid for by donations. It does not get Government or NHS cash.
Joe Garcia, interim chief executive officer, said: “The past few years have been challenging and as time goes on, our aircraft are aging and the cost of running this service is increasing, whilst charitable support across all charities is dropping.
“In 2024 we were predicted to run at a deficit and go into our limited reserves just to keep us flying, and we don’t want history to repeat itself.”
The service annually responds to on average 2,000 incidents across the North East, North Yorkshire, Cumbria, Scotland and the Isle of Man.
So far this year their doctors, paramedics and pilots have already been activated nearly 800 times to help those in need across the region, with the most frequent incidents being cardiac arrests, road collisions, medical incidents, falls and assaults.
Alongside the critical care team is the dedicated charity staff which ensure the smooth operation of the service, while a larger network of volunteers help spread the word across the 8,000-plus square mile region the service covers.
To find out more about the appeal and how you can support the charity visit gna.as/appeal2025
