As the festive season approaches and families across Northern Ireland prepare to celebrate, Magheralin based, fifth generation farmer and business owner Libby Clarke is encouraging the agri-business community to remember their Air Ambulance as the service expects 60 call outs to critically ill and injured people this December. 

The message from Libby is simple, “Air Ambulance is there for our agri community and all of us in NI when we need them, when the worst happens.  For rural and farming families that may be as a result of a farm accident related to machinery or cattle, or a fall from height to name a few.  The doctor and paramedic on board air ambulance can be with the patient in minutes, thanks to support of the public. 

We are appealing to our agribusiness sector to remember Air Ambulance if you are choosing a charity to support this festive season https://airambulanceni.org/festive-fundraising/ or a charity partner for 2026.”

Barclay Bell, previous President of the Ulster Farmers Union, and Trustee of the charity added, “Help keep this vital service flying this Christmas and beyond. A simple donation or proceeds from an event can save a life.”

While many of us enjoy the holidays, the Air Ambulance will remain operational every single day — ready to respond when tragedy strikes. The service expects to be tasked over 60 times this December alone, delivering pre-hospital critical care at the scene of serious incidents across our province.

Air Ambulance NI needs to raise £8,200 every single day to stay operational and help patients like George Haslett from Claudy, Co L’Derry, who credits the Air Ambulance NI service for saving his life following a farming accident.

George was overcome by fumes while attempting to rescue lambs from a shed after mixing slurry on the family farm. Emergency services, including Air Ambulance NI, responded and provided pre-hospital critical care interventions at the scene that would normally only happen in a hospital setting.

George spent four months in Altnagelvin Hospital and undertook five months of rehabilitation in Musgrave Brain Injury unit, has had to learn how to walk and talk again. “It has been a difficult journey, but I am blessed to be alive which is thanks to the Air Ambulance NI team and all the doctors and nurses who cared for me. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here today.”