THE region's air ambulance service celebrated 20 years as an independent charity last week, and to mark the occasion, Carlisle landmarks were illuminated green.
Over the Friday evening (May, 13), monuments, buildings and bridges in the North East and North West were lit up green to raise awareness of the vital work carried out by the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) over the past 20 years.
The independent service does not rely on government funding, and therefore has to raise £6.7m a year through donations to remain operational.
GNAAS' service have also appealed to the public to help them weather the storm of rising fuel prices, as they have reported a 30 per cent increase in fuel costs for aircraft alone.
The life-saving service has responded to 1,620 incidents in 2021, of which 457 fell within the Cumbria region, recording the organisation's busiest year on record - with the service expecting a further increase this year.
David Stockton, the charity’s chief executive officer, said: “Over the last 20 years, our charity has evolved from humble beginnings to being a world-class leader in pre-hospital care.
"Thanks to the support of the public, we have been able to deliver care to approximately 23,500 people across the North, and we are proud to say we maintained an uninterrupted service during the pandemic."
The service currently covers the skies of the North East, North Yorkshire, Northumberland and Cumbria.
For the lighting ceremony in the North West it included popular hotspots such as; The Beacon in Whitehaven; Candlestick Chimney in Whitehaven; Carlisle Civic Centre’s heart; The Andalusian Bar in Carlisle; Energus in Workington and The Citadels in Carlisle.
The service also welcomes a new Cumbrian chief pilot this week.
Kendal-born Phil Lambert flew into GNAAS ten years ago following a 22-year career with the Army.
Phil, who works from the charity’s base in Langwathby, Cumbria, said: "I am so incredibly proud to head up a brilliant team of pilots at GNAAS and I am really looking forward to getting started in my new role."
READ MORE: Whitehaven man completes sky dive to raise money for charity
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