The HELP Appeal has received a fantastic £5,000 donation, made possible by the Directors of AFC Solihull, Tony Donnelly and Paul Woodford.

Their commitment to supporting worthwhile causes continues to make a real difference within our community.

Lesley Obee from the HELP Appeal said:

“This generous donation will help fund much needed NHS hospital helipads, air ambulance base helipads and critical care cars, enabling specialist medical teams to reach critically ill and injured patients quickly.”

The HELP Appeal is marking the first anniversary of improvement works that brought Maidstone Hospital’s vital helipad in line with the latest national standards.

The £170,000-plus upgrade was made possible by a generous donation from the charity.

One year on, the improved facility continues to support the rapid transfer of critically ill patients arriving at Maidstone Hospital or travelling to specialist Major Trauma Centres, including King’s College Hospital in London, where the HELP Appeal also funded a helipad.

It also provides air ambulance crews with a safe landing site 24 hours a day, seven days a week when responding to emergencies in the surrounding community. Its night-landing capability allows road ambulance teams to meet helicopters and transfer patients quickly and safely, even after dark.

The improvement works included new state-of-the-art lighting, upgraded fencing and safety barriers, and a highly visible bright-green surface designed to meet national compliance standards. Green aviation lights were also installed, enabling lifesaving flights to continue throughout the night.

Maidstone Hospital’s helipad was originally opened by HRH The Princess Royal in 2019. The HELP Appeal funded its entire construction with a £300,000 donation.

Since opening, the helipad has supported more than 190 landings by emergency helicopters, including aircraft operated by Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex and the Children’s Air Ambulance.

The HELP Appeal has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening emergency care by awarding its annual £60,000 grant to the West Midlands Central Accident Resuscitation Emergency (CARE) Team, helping it to continue delivering advanced pre-hospital emergency care to critically ill and injured patients across the West Midlands.

The HELP Appeal, based in Walsall, is the only charity in the country dedicated to funding NHS hospital helipads, ensuring air ambulances can transfer patients directly to specialist hospital care. Alongside this work, the charity supports organisations that enhance emergency medicine and improve patient outcomes, recognising that the patient’s journey begins long before they arrive at hospital.

The West Midlands CARE Team plays a vital role in that journey. Working in partnership with the West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust (WMAS), its volunteer doctors, nurses, paramedics and other healthcare professionals provide enhanced clinical care at the scene of serious medical emergencies in their free time, bringing advanced hospital-level interventions directly to patients when every second counts.

Robert Bertram, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal, said:

“The HELP Appeal is committed to improving every stage of patients’ emergency care, from the moment specialist clinicians arrive at the scene through to direct admission to hospital via a helipad. Supporting organisations like the West Midlands CARE Team is an important part of that commitment.

“The team’s highly skilled volunteers provide exceptional clinical care in the most challenging circumstances, delivering advanced treatments that can make the difference between life and death. We are delighted to continue our long-standing support with this annual £60,000 grant, helping ensure they can continue providing this outstanding service to communities across the West Midlands.”

Responding alongside WMAS, the CARE Team deploys specialist rapid response vehicles, one of which the HELP Appeal has also funded, staffed by experienced volunteer clinicians. Each team includes a Clinical Lead, Clinical Support clinician and an emergency response driver, enabling them to deliver advanced care safely and efficiently before patients reach hospital.

Their expertise allows them to perform interventions usually only available in emergency departments, including advanced airway management, procedural sedation, advanced pain relief, pre-hospital ultrasound, mechanical chest compressions, clot-busting therapy during cardiac arrest and life-saving surgical procedures.

The charity has also been at the forefront of innovation in pre-hospital emergency medicine. It successfully piloted the region’s first advanced cardiac arrest response platform, becoming the first enhanced care service in the West Midlands to routinely use mechanical chest compression devices alongside pre-hospital ultrasound. The success of the pilot led to the commissioning of a charity-funded critical care paramedic response vehicle, helping to improve advanced cardiac arrest care across the central Midlands.

A spokesperson for the West Midlands CARE Team said:

 “We are incredibly grateful to the HELP appeal for this generous donation, which will have a direct and meaningful impact on the lifesaving care we provide. This support strengthens our ability to deliver specialist medical assistance to the most sick and injured individuals across our community and we are truly thankful for the trust and commitment shown to our volunteer‑led service.”

Since 2009, the HELP Appeal has donated millions of pounds to projects that improve emergency care, funding NHS hospital helipads, air ambulance bases, critical care cars and medical equipment that enables critically ill and injured patients to be treated quickly. By continuing to support organisations such as the West Midlands CARE Team, the HELP Appeal is helping to strengthen the entire emergency care pathway, from the roadside to hospital, ensuring patients receive the best possible care at every stage of their journey.

Construction of the new Emergency Department (ED) and Critical Care Unit at Dorset County Hospital (DCH) has marked another major milestone, with the installation of the rooftop helipad.

A Topping Out ceremony was held by construction partner Tilbury Douglas to mark the building reaching its highest point.

Funded by the New Hospital Programme (NHP), the £100million building will provide two floors of clinical space and help transform the way the Trust provides emergency care.

The new Emergency Department will allow DCH to treat more patients and will include a dedicated area for children and young people, as well as space designed for people experiencing difficulties with their mental health. The Critical Care Unit will expand from 11 to 16 beds with the potential to increase further in the future and it will also include a paediatric space. The building will be connected to the main hospital by a link corridor and the space freed up will be re-purposed to support same day emergency care.

Members of the national NHP team, local partners and scheme supporters joined Trust teams to celebrate this milestone, which was marked by the unveiling of the £2million rooftop helipad courtesy of the HELP Appeal – the only charity in the country dedicated to funding NHS hospital helipads.

Planning permission has been granted for the development of a new airbase in Edwalton for the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance (LNAA) Charity where the HELP Appeal has donated £2m towards the build cost.

The move will provide critical infrastructure to support the expansion of LNAA’s life-saving service. On average, crews respond to four missions a day, and so far in 2026, they have responded to an average of five missions a day.

LNAA’s CEO, Karen Jobling, said:

“This is a major milestone for the Charity as part of our strategy for expansion. This second airbase will enable our critical care teams to be by the side of more patients, especially across Nottinghamshire. The airbase location is particularly significant as it is very close to Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) – the Major Trauma Centre for the East Midlands – which does not have a helipad on site.”

Located just south of the A52/A606 roundabout at Edwalton, the site was pledged as a gift to the Charity by local benefactor Mr Brian Wells. It comes after Tollerton Airfield was sold for development, meaning it will no longer serve as a base for LNAA’s Nottingham Critical Care Car or as a landing site for the helicopter.

Mr Wells said:

“This is fantastic news, and as a long-time supporter, I am happy that I have been able to help the Charity save more lives. Anyone could need its life-saving care at any time, so this is an important step.”

Plans to upgrade the helipad at Basildon Hospital have been approved, paving the way for improved care for heart patients requiring emergency treatment.

Basildon Hospital is home to the region’s major cardiothoracic centre. As a result, patients experiencing cardiac arrest make up a large proportion of those flown to the hospital.

Enhancing the helipad is essential to ensure this life-saving service can transport even more patients to the hospital as quickly as possible.

Maimuna Mushabe, Chief Executive for Basildon Hospital, said:

“This upgrade will make the area safer, Civil Aviation Authority compliant and will mean a smoother service for heart patients who need to come to the world-renowned Essex Cardiothoracic Centre by air ambulance. It’s already being used by these patients, so the changes will help improve that service for patients, air and ground crews alike.”

The planning approval clears the way for a fully night-flight capable landing site, improving both safety and access for patients being airlifted to the hospital.

Funded entirely by the HELP Appeal, the project will see the existing unlit tarmac helipad replaced with a modern facility equipped with pilot-controlled lighting.

The improvements will allow Essex & Herts Air Ambulance to continue its own flight operations until 8pm, with the new lighting enabling crews to land and take off safely later into the afternoon and evening during the darker winter months, when reduced daylight can otherwise limit operations.

A start date for the work has not yet been confirmed, but once underway it is expected to take around six months to complete.

Scott McIlwaine, Head of Aviation and Operations at Essex & Herts Air Ambulance, said:

“We are delighted at this news as Basildon Hospital plays a vital role in supporting Essex & Herts Air Ambulance, particularly as the region’s major cardiothoracic centre. Cardiac arrest cases account for a significant proportion of our missions.

“The planned helipad improvements will make landings safer for our crews and help us get patients to Basildon more quickly, including later in the afternoon and evening during winter when fading light can otherwise prevent flights. This is an important step in ensuring we can continue getting the region’s sickest patients to the specialist hospital care they need, whenever they need us.”

Robert Bertram, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal, said:

“This planning approval is a significant milestone for Basildon Hospital and, most importantly, for the patients whose lives depend on rapid access to specialist emergency care. By fully funding this brand new helipad, the HELP Appeal is helping to ensure air ambulances can land safely both day and night, giving critically ill patients faster access to the expert treatment they need. We are proud to fund a project that will strengthen emergency care across the region and help save more lives.”

The HELP Appeal was delighted to meet over 150 Rod Stewart fans at their three-day fan club weekend in Leicester. The annual gathering, organised by Louise Cotton, welcomed a special guest, Rod Stewart’s sister Mary, who joined members of the fan club as they celebrated their shared love of Rod’s music while continuing their long-standing tradition of supporting charitable causes.

During the afternoon, Lesley Obee, from the HELP Appeal, shared the story behind her support for the charity, reflecting on the loss of her son, Thomas Knight, in 2008 and how that journey led her to the charity.

Speaking to the audience, she said:

“I searched for a way to honour Thomas – something that would reflect his spirit, his future, and the love that will always be his. That path brought me to the HELP Appeal.”

Lesley explained how the charity funds hospital helipads across the UK, ensuring air ambulance patients can be transferred directly to specialist care when every second counts.

She told guests:

“It’s more than concrete and lights. It’s seconds. It’s safety. It’s the difference between a patient being carried across car parks and corridors or being delivered straight to the doors of specialist care. In an emergency, those seconds matter.”

Milestone highlights the charity’s role in transforming emergency access to Major Trauma Centres and A&E hospitals

 The HELP Appeal, the only charity in the country dedicated to funding NHS hospital helipads, has announced that there have been more than 35,000 helicopter landings on HELP Appeal-funded helipads across Great Britain.

The landmark achievement underlines the charity’s significant contribution to improving access to emergency and specialist care for critically ill and seriously injured patients. To date, the HELP Appeal has funded 55 helipad projects, including 32 brand-new hospital helipads that have collectively received over 35,000 helicopter landings, alongside 23 major helipad upgrades that have enhanced patient access and operational capability.

The figures demonstrate the vital role hospital helipads play in delivering patients rapidly to specialist care, reducing transfer times and helping ensure patients receive the right treatment as quickly as possible.

Britain’s busiest hospital helipads 

The UK’s five busiest hospital helipads recorded more than 1,500 emergency helicopter landings during 2025:

• Southampton General Hospital – 322 landings
• King’s College Hospital, London – 319 landings
• Southmead Hospital, Bristol – 318 landings
• Raigmore Hospital, Inverness – 300 landings
• Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow – 282 landings

Thirteen years ago this month marks the opening of the helipad at St Mary’s Hospital on the Isle of Wight, which has played a vital role in emergency patient care since its official opening by HRH The Duke of Kent in 2013.

Since then, the helipad has supported 1,990 landings by the Air Ambulance and HM Coastguard, averaging more than three emergency landings every week.

The helipad was made possible through a £1.45 million investment, including a £250,000 contribution from the HELP Appeal, the only charity in the country dedicated to funding NHS hospital helipads.

By enabling critically ill and seriously injured patients from across the island to be flown directly to St Mary’s Hospital, the facility has significantly improved access to urgent care. When specialist treatment is required, patients can be rapidly transferred to Southampton General Hospital, a Major Trauma Centre that also benefited from a HELP Appeal-funded helipad, opened in 2011.

The St Mary’s helipad continues to play a crucial role in supporting emergency services and ensuring that patients receive the right treatment as quickly as possible, helping to save lives across the Isle of Wight and beyond.

A huge congratulations and thank you to Richard, who has completed an incredible challenge in support of the HELP Appeal.

Richard cycled the equivalent distance from Land’s End to John O’Groats on a spin bike, showing remarkable determination, commitment, and endurance throughout the journey. Taking on such a demanding challenge is no small feat, and his efforts have helped raise funds and support for the vital work of the HELP Appeal.

Everyone at the HELP Appeal would like to express their sincere thanks to Richard for his dedication and hard work. His achievement is truly inspiring, and we are very grateful for the support he has shown.

Well done, Richard, and thank you for going the extra mile for the HELP Appeal.