Derbyshire air ambulance charity launches £22,000 fundraising appeal to make shops safe for reopening

The Air Ambulance Service is adapting 57 shops and boutiques, including the one on Spring Gardens in Buxton, to ensure the safety of customers and staff as soon as the charity is given the green light to re-open.

The charity is facing a bill of nearly £13,000 for hygiene screens around till points, more than £7,000 for hand sanitizer stations and fluids as well £1,000-plus for social distancing signage and measures.

Deputy chief executive Emma Peake said: “The pandemic has had a significant impact on so many including our own lifesaving charity.

“Due to the closure of our shops, the suspension of our re-use kerbside collections and the postponement of our door-to-door lottery, the charity is facing a projected net loss of at least £2.18milion for the months April to June.”

These losses have been compounded by the cancellation of fundraising events and supporter-le d initiatives as these have not been possible during the lockdown period.

Despite the impact, the charity has continued to provide vital frontline, critical care services, attending missions around the clock throughout.

Each rescue mission costs approximately £1,700, and the charity’s adult service carries out around 1,800 missions every year.

Emma said: “Our dedicated crews are continuing their potentially lifesaving work through this difficult time and this vital support to the NHS relies solely on donations as the charity receives no government funding for its missions.

“We want to reopen our shops as soon as we are able but our priority is the safety of customers and staff.”

She added: “The charity desperately needs the income these stores provide and we desperately need the public’s help, more than ever before, to enable us to continue to support the NHS.”

Donations are welcome from businesses, community groups or individual supporters. For details, go to theairambulanceservice.org.uk or call 0300 3045 999.