Over the past 12 months, Stratford Oaks Golf Club in Stratford upon Avon has embraced a ‘bear-y’ novel way to help raise funds for the HELP Appeal – the only charity in the country dedicated to funding NHS hospital helipads. Each member agreed to make a donation to the HELP Appeal before they could take the charity’s teddy bear called Brad on a new adventure. Since November 2022 they have helped to raise an incredible £1,562.02
Sally Crompton, Lady Captain of Stratford Oaks Golf Club explains how far Brad has travelled:
“He has been to Nova Scotia in Canada, helped to celebrate a 50th wedding anniversary in the Mediterranean, popped up in Florida for a spot of golf and attempted some wine tasting in the Napa Valley in California. Our members loved taking photos of Brad’s exploits all while raising money for a hugely worthwhile cause.”
The HELP Appeal is a charity which funds hospital helipads to save time and save lives. To date it as funded over 45 hospital helipads, which have seen over 26,000 landings.
Locally it has projects in the pipeline, which include a new helipad at Worcester Royal Hospital, which will be close to its Accident and Emergency department, enabling paramedics to transfer critically ill patients to specialist hospital care immediately. It also recently funded a much-needed helipad upgrade at Coventry’s University Hospital. Its new walkway, which is now fully lit and covered to help maintain a patient’s dignity, seamlessly connects the helipad to the Major Trauma Centre any time of the day and during darkness hours.
The HELP Appeal also supports local air ambulances, including Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA). It donated £25,000 to help upgrade its helicopter to a bespoke, Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) aircraft which has enabled expertly equipped crews to fly further and more frequently, delivering even faster response times so they can continue to save more lives across Warwickshire and Northamptonshire.
Lesley Obee from the HELP Appeal adds:
“We are hugely grateful to Stratford Oaks Golf Club. Not only has taking Brad the Bear on new adventures been such a fun way to raise awareness about our work, but its very generous members have also helped to raise much needed funds so we can continue building more lifesaving hospital helipads.”
