A new Shropshire mayor has chosen the Shropshire Star’s Flying Doctor Appeal as one of the good causes to be supported with fundraising through his year of office.
Ian Pickles, a long-standing councillor on Broseley Town Council, became Mayor of Broseley for the first time earlier this month, and has picked two charities to back.
“One is the Broseley Christmas Lights Appeal. Broseley’s lights are, I think, the best in Shropshire, and many people think so, but they always need more money,” he said.
“The other is your Flying Doctor Appeal. Broseley is relatively isolated road-wise and it can take quite a long time to get to hospital from here, so that’s one reason.
“The other is that one of the councillors has a son who was involved in an accident and needed to use the air ambulance service in really difficult circumstances.
“It was at an isolated spot and the attendance of the air ambulance was a potential life-saver.”
Councillor Pickles is a teacher at a Bridgnorth Secondary School and his fundraising will carry on for the year.
Our Flying Doctor Appeal aims to raise £70,000 to fund a Flying Doctor to join the crew of the Shropshire-based air ambulance helicopter, taking its on-board medical skills and capabilities to new heights.
In particular, a Flying Doctor is able to perform on-the-spot surgical procedures, which could be potentially life-saving, which the current paramedics on the air ambulance crew are not allowed to do. For instance, a Flying Doctor is able to open up wounds to get to the seat of arterial bleeding and apply clamps to stop it. The appeal was launched in February and has now passed through the £20,000 mark, so there’s still a way to go.
The air ambulance helicopter relies entirely on donations to keep it flying but our appeal is a specific, targeted appeal on top of the general fundraising, and cash raised for our appeal should be sent to our appeal office, the address of which is on the donations form.
Have you got something planned to support our Flying Doctor Appeal? Then don’t forget to let us know about it so we can highlight your effort. Drop a line to: Toby Neal, Shropshire Star, Ketley, Telford, Shropshire TF1 5HU, phone (01952) 241458, or e-mail tneal@shropshirestar.co.uk
By Toby Neal
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