A Northern Ireland family has raised over £300,000 in six years for the Air Ambulance after it helped save their son's life following a serious motorcycle collision.
The Osborne family, from Ballymoney, set up the Simon Osborne Air Ambulance Appeal in 2019 in order to generate much-needed funds for the charity.
Their son Simon was helped by the Air Ambulance after he was involved in a serious motorcycle collision, with it playing a major role in saving his life.
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Tony Osborne, Simon's father, expressed his eternal gratitude to the Air Ambulance NI team.
He said their son would not be alive today "without their intervention".
"It's a humbling reminder that any one of us may need their services, and they rely heavily on public donations to operate, almost £7,000 is needed every day," he added.
Over the past six years, the family's appeal has raised thousands of pounds through a number of campaigns and events which include; The Armoy Road Races, Shane’s Castle Steam Rally, and Ballymoney Spring Fair. Their latest successful event, an Abba Tribute Night at Kelly’s Complex Portrush, exemplified their creativity in engaging the community.
Katrina Hughes, Area Fundraising Manager for Air Ambulance NI said: "The Osborne family came together, during a really difficult time, and put their everything into supporting Air Ambulance NI and we are eternally grateful. It never fails to amaze us what the Osborne team achieve year on year, raising over £300,000 since 2019 and funding over 6 weeks of the service.
"It is a joy to work with everyone from The Simon Osborne Appeal, to witness firsthand their dedication and tenacity in supporting the lifesaving HEMS service. We were delighted to welcome a number of the team down to the Air Ambulance Base recently to celebrate their unbelievable contribution – from all of us here at Air Ambulance NI, thank you so much for being a part of the team and helping to save lives."
Air Ambulance NI, in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, is the vital lifeline providing the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) for Northern Ireland. This essential service offers urgent medical assistance to critically ill or injured patients.
The service operates seven days a week for 12 hours per day and the aircraft can reach anywhere in Northern Ireland in approximately twenty-five minutes. On average, the doctor and paramedic team are tasked twice a day, responding to serious incidents such as road traffic collisions, workplace accidents, and medical emergencies, and it takes almost £7,000 per day to maintain the service.
Air Ambulance NI aims to raise £2.5 million annually to sustain its operations. To support this cause and become part of the lifesaving team, the charity encourages the public to join Club AANI. Membership involves a monthly donation, which provides stability for the service and offers donors a gold pin badge, regular updates, and an invitation to an annual gathering.
For further information on how to support Air Ambulance NI, please visit their website at www.airambulanceni.org
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