Trereife Supporting Local Charity

Fundraisers present new equipment to Cornwall Air Ambulance paramedics
The fundraising efforts of an iconic Cornish hotel and a country house have paid for important new equipment for the county’s air ambulance.
The Greenbank Hotel in Falmouth and Trereife House near Newlyn held special events this summer, which raised enough money to buy three new combination scoop spinal boards for the Cornwall Air Ambulance.

The bright-green boards are crucial for transporting trauma patients who may have head, neck, pelvic or spinal injuries, from the scene of an accident to hospital. Trauma incidents account for around 50% of the missions flown by Cornwall’s air ambulance helicopter, making this type of equipment essential cargo on board.

This new “two in one” equipment replaces the traditional long board and scoop boards, and removes the need to move patients from one board to the other during emergency rescues.

Air crew paramedic Stuart Croft said: “The new boards are designed to separate into two pieces, enabling paramedics to place it underneath the patient and avoiding the traditional “log roll”, which can present additional risk to patients.
“These boards will be in regular use on our daily missions and will help us transport patients safely and efficiently.

“It’s great news that the fundraising efforts of the Greenbank Hotel and Trereife House have paid for a crucial piece of kit to help us do our job.”

The Greenbank raised almost £1000 through a charity ball in June as part of the Greenbank Fal River Festival, and also through discretionary donations from guests staying at the hotel.

Duncan Ayres, corporate sales manager for the hotel, said: “We were very keen that our fundraising was used effectively to buy kit for the air ambulance and paramedics. The scoop spinal boards serve as an excellent legacy from the donations of our guests.”

Meanwhile, Trereife House has so far raised £650 from proceeds through their Easter Craft Fair and Summer Fair. The estate has chosen Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust as its charity for the year and will continue to collect money from its guests and visitors.

Event manager at Trereife, Rob Lewis, said: “This donation is just the beginning of our efforts to raise money for what is a crucial service in the county. The air ambulance helps people throughout Cornwall, from all walks of life, and you never know when you might need its help.”

Fundraising is crucial to helping keep the Cornwall Air Ambulance flying – it costs around £1.6 million each year to run the helicopter, covering up to five missions a day during the summer season.