Good News. The vehicle which Hendy Hire have generously lent to HIOWAA for the summer events season has arrived.  

We are enormously grateful to Hendy Hire for this kind gesture, which will make running our events so much easier and more efficient.  You will be able to see the van on our stands at Netley Marsh Steam and Craft Show, The New Forest Show, and Navy Days to name a few. Support such as this from local companies is so valuable to the charity, and we can't thank them enough.

Sherie

Last weekend, the 10th & 11th July, 6 intrepid ladies from Solution 4 Recruitment in Bishops Waltham set out to cycle 62 miles around the Isle of Wight, not only to raise funds for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance but also to collect bra’s for our Bag-a-Bra campaign.

The team are more used to finding jobs for PR, Marketing and Design specialists in the south, saddled up and cycled around various shops on the island who have been supporting the air ambulance’s Bag A Bra campaign. And there was only one way to carry the many bras they collected – draped on the bikes, worn by the cyclists themselves and even attached to their helmets, flapping in the breeze! 

Melanie from Solutions4 Recruitment said: “Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance are our chosen charity for the year and we have already raised over £1,000 for them. This is such an important cause for us and we want to shout about what we are doing to encourage others to see how important the Air Ambulance is and adopt them as their chosen charity.” 

Melanie adds, “HIOWAA first became important to me last year when a good friend fell off her horse and broke her back, she was in the middle of some woodland, a mile from the road. The speed of the Air Ambulance enabled her to get to hospital and be treated within a very short time frame.”

Well done to the ladies, and I understand there were some unusual donations along the way!  A fantastic effort.  Thank you.

Roger

Students from Southampton Solent University have donated over three tonnes of textiles to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance ‘Bag-It-Up’ scheme. This is our biggest single donation of textiles we have ever received!

Rather than just throwing away old clothes, towels and other textiles Southampton Solent University have collected unwanted items from their students on their own converted old milk float known as ‘Eco Ernie’.

This was sorted and ‘Bagged Up’ by a team of volunteers and donated to the charity.

Bag It Up’s Danielle Mugridge added: "This project is a fantastic way of involving students in the local community and helping raise funds for the life saving work of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance. Combined with this, the project addresses the importance of recycling and the diversion of tons of waste from the waste stream and landfill. 

Roger

I admit I have never been to a folk event. This was a lovely event, relaxed with great people. We were invited by one of the bands who were playing on Sunday night, Smoke and Mirrors. This band donated their fee to a charity  and one of the singers Sara had nominated the air ambulance. Myself, Kate and David, two of the Island volunteers, attended on Sunday during the day and listened to some fantastic music. I then returned later for the evening performance from the band. Becky, who plays the fiddle and other stringed instruments for the band, had also managed to organise a raffle with an acoustic guitar, donated by Strings on the Isle of Wight, along with a dinner for two at the New Homewood Hotel in Cowes. So I set myself outside (what a wonderful evening) and started to sell the tickets. I was so surprised by the crowd which kept coming up, with help from the band. We raised £242 from the raffle, the band donate £250 plus we had some money in our donation buckets. Thank you to all who attend and well done to the organisers for a great event. 

Rosemarie X

Saturday 10th July was ‘Support the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance’ day at Marks and Spencer’s and Sainsbury’s Hedge End. Using our star attraction the ‘POD’ a retired yellow Bolkow 105, (not all of it, the tail and rotors have been removed) and supported by a band of committed fund raisers the day commenced.

Shoppers we must thank you. Your support and generosity cannot go without comment. Without your financial support and interest we would not be flying or in a position to acquire our replacement and more advanced air ambulance in September 2010.

Even those who did not have time to stop and chat your contributions were gratefully received.

To all the potential junior air ambulance pilots who sat in the pod, headset on, one hand on the collective and the other on the cyclic even though their feet didn’t reach the rudder pedals, having their pictures taken it was a pleasure to have you aboard. To their long suffering parents thank you too.

And to our dedicated fund raisers throughout Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, for your unstinting generosity in both money and time on behalf of the pilots and aircrew a big thank you. 

To conclude – one potential young pilot informed me that whilst on a mission, should someone start shooting at him he would release flares to confuse the missiles. There, dear reader is an indication of the power of the media. 

Martyn Kingdon. Operations Manager, HIOWAA

How fantastic are the people of Basingstoke, and visitors to the town too.  Last Saturday and Sunday we had the pod on display, by invitation of The Malls, Basingstoke Town Centre.  The result was an astonishing collection amounting to £1223.70p. Many thanks to everyone who donated and who might be reading this!

We couldn’t have raised this incredible amount without the support of our marvellous volunteers, Lisa, Ken, Ann, and Sandy, and certainly couldn’t have had the pod in situ without Brian and Claire kindly  towing it to Basingstoke.  Many, many thanks to you all.

June

We are fantastically busy this summer, attending a wide range of fundraising events all across the county. This is exactly what we want to be doing, but it has caused a slight problem for us, in how to transport all the promotional equipment, the marquee, gazebos, flags, tables, banners etc, from one event to the next, both quickly and safely.  I am delighted to announce that Hendy Hire, part of the Hendy Group, have offered to lend a van to the charity for this express reason.  Hendy Hire Director, Mr Paul Mockett, has generously agreed that we can have use of this vehicle for the rest of the year. This is an amazingly kind offer and will be of enormous help to the entire team.  We are extremely grateful to Paul, and Hendy Hire.  So, when you come along to one of the summer events near you, and see the HIOWAA stand, it will be there thanks to the kind assistance of Hendy Hire.  Many thanks from all the team.

Sherie

In these uncertain economic times it can be difficult to find suitable employment, and University Graduates are finding it especially hard to find placements.  Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance may be able to help some of our local graduates with work experience placements.  We are enormously busy with a wide variety of fundraising and other ventures, all designed to maximise donations to the charity, and keep the Air Ambulance flying and saving lives.  Do you believe you have skills which would enhance our work, and enable us to reach more of our local community?  Are your talents in areas such as PR, Events Management, and Marketing? Are you a people person, who is able to communicate well and promote the charity?

We have a small number of short term work experience placements which we can offer to local graduates. Although we can’t offer payment, reasonable out of pocket expenses will be covered.

If this is the sort of placement which would interest you, please contact me by email on sherie@hiow-airambulance.org.uk or phone 02380 333444

Sherie

Monday 12th July 7pm for 7.30pm sees the first of two fantastic culinary events which will raise funds for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance. 

Our Ready Steady Cook style event comes to Ballard School Performing Arts Centre in New Milton and features the Chewton Glen v Lime Wood Hotels, two of the south’s most prestigious hotels. 

The evening will be hosted by Michelin Star chef Alex Aitkin representing Lime Wood and Chef Sommelier Alan Holmes from the Chewton Glen. 

A fun filled evening with Welcome drink, interval canapes, ‘goody bag’ and fabulous raffle prizes. Visit www.cookerydemo.co.uk for more details

£25 ticket, contact Rachel Spackman on 01425  627733  rachelspackman@ballardschool.co.uk or event organiser Katy Metson on 02380 266999

See you there!

Roger

We are very fortunate that kind people often donate interesting items to the charity, and this is one of the most unusual.  As you can see from the photo, a very kind donor has given us this beautiful dolls' house and we would like to offer it for sale.  

It is such a lovely item, with intricate work on it, and a wealth of fine detail, both inside and out.  It would make a very beautiful birthday or Christmas present for a child or grandchild.  It needs a small amount of work to bring it back to its full glory, but even so, it is a beautiful piece.   If you are interested in making an offer for this, please call the office on 02380 333377 or email enquiries@hiow-airambulance.org.uk

Sherie