Student organises quiz night and concert to raise £1200
Tireless work by a 17 year old Duke of Edinburgh Award student has raised enough money to pay for the fuel required for an average of four missions undertaken by Cornwall Air Ambulance.
Evelyn Cole organised an evening of singing to take place in Liskeard church. The venue provided a perfect backdrop for some of Devon and Cornwall’s best loved vocalists.
The student first raised money for the charity when she organised a quiz night in March ahead of the recent soiree which took place at the end of October.
Evelyn says she wanted to raise vital funds having been inspired by the work of the pilots, ground crew and paramedics at Cornwall Air Ambulance. The team estimates fuel costs for a single mission total £300.
‘Part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme involves an element of volunteering,’ explains Evelyn.
‘I decided to organise a series of events which would help to raise vital funds for the Cornwall Air Ambulance team having heard about their life saving missions.’
As such, Evelyn booked singers and a venue which saw Liskeard’s St Martin’s Church act as a backdrop for an evening of entertainment.
The event took place at the end of October – and raised hundreds of pounds for the charity through donations, ticket sales and a raffle.
The ‘Saving Lives Through Song’ evening was hosted by regional broadcasting personality Justin Leigh.
Concert image: Jen Morgan (Cornwall Air Ambulance), Broadcaster Justin Leigh, Sherelle Puertas (Cornwall Air Ambulance), Helen Roper (Cornwall Air Ambulance) and organiser Evelyn Cole (seated).
‘Saving Lives Through Song’
Singers from across Devon and Cornwall took part in the gala which included: the Buccas Four Vocal Quartet, Devon based vocalist Annie-River and the Tamar Valley Male Voice Choir.
Eve’s concert raised £1200 for Cornwall Air Ambulance. Image shows Devon based vocalist Annie-River and the Tamar Valley Male Voice Choir.
The Buccas Four have been singing for more than 20 years with their origins firmly fixed in the West Cornwall fishing port of Newlyn. The group are well known having toured in Brittany, Wales, Ireland, Jersey and England.
The money raised will not only go towards the fuel costs but will also help towards the expenses required to keep the service operational throughout the year. Each mission is estimated to cost between £3000 to £5000.
The specialist team revolves between 10 paramedics, eight doctors alongside six pilots who can operate the craft for 19 hours each day. The only time the craft doesn’t fly is when the weather prevents it safely taking off.
The charity’s key aim is to try to ensure they can rapidly transfer medical emergencies from a location to a hospital in the safest and fastest time possible.
Supporters of the charity explain that seconds really do count when someone’s life is on the line and the speed of a helicopter can make all the difference for a patient who might be critically ill – and need rapid hospital intervention.
Last year, the air ambulance attended more than 1000 incidents. The running costs total more than more than £6 million per annum.
There is no funding from central government which means the team are solely reliant on the generosity of the public.
Cornwall Air Ambulance: the UK’s first air ambulance
‘We are honoured that Eve has raised such a fantastic amount for the team through her Duke of Edinburgh Award work,’ says Cornwall Air Ambulance’s Sherelle Puertas.
‘We are entirely reliant on the generosity of fund raisers like her to allow us to continue our life saving work.’
The Newquay based helicopter is ready for take off for 19 hours a day and has saved countless lives since it was first launched in 1987 as the UK’s first air ambulance service. The team can quickly transport people to specialist units across the southwest.
The aircraft, with its distinctive red and yellow livery, can provide an intensive care environment for patients who are cared by critical care paramedics (their training extends to an additional two years above their standard level of qualification).
Evelyn’s first fund-raising event for the charity was a pub quiz night at The Weary Friar pub in Pillaton where she successfully raised more than £500.
‘Huge thanks go to everyone who has supported me and helped me to raise these funds with both the pub quiz and the concert,’ says Evelyn.
Meanwhile, the Torpoint Lady Singers have been raising funds through their concerts which have been running throughout the year. Their events have raised more than £1,000 for ShelterBox.
