Local equestrian and agricultural show commentor Raymond Bready and Gransha Equestrian Centre’s Adrienne Stuart have raised an incredible £30,690 for Air Ambulance NI Charity following their skydive fundraising campaign, funding the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) for over four days.
The friends from Co Down initially aimed to raise a very ambitious £15,000 for their 15,000ft skydive challenge. However, Raymond and Adrienne soon surpassed this target thanks to setting up further fundraising events including a ‘Pedal The Penisula’ cycle, the Gransha Equestrian Summer Charity Show, Donaghadee Beach Relay Race event and raffle fundraisers over the last two months.
Throughout the campaign, they were supported by many businesses with donations from W&R Barnett Charity Scheme, Edenkennedy Agricultural Services (David Rankin) and Eventing Ireland (Northern Region) as well as hundreds of individuals who donated to their cause via their JustGiving page and cash donations. Raymond and Adrienne completed their skydive on the 7th September at Skydive Ireland, Garvagh and four weeks later, they were astounded to have doubled their initial fundraising target with an overall donation of £30,690 to Air Ambulance NI Charity. Adrienne and Raymond would like to thank anyone who donated or supported their fundraising efforts, they are very appreciative of everyone’s support.
Air Ambulance NI fundraising manager Damien McAnespie said, “We have been blown away by the incredible support of Adrienne and Raymond. Not only have they done something incredible by undertaking a skydive, they also have raised a huge amount for the charity, funding the HEMS for over four days and potentially helping to save the life, brain or limb of eight individuals in the region. We can’t thank them enough for what they have done for us; their passion, energy and enthusiasm for the service throughout has been humbling.”
The charity Air Ambulance Northern Ireland, in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, provides the HEMS for Northern Ireland. The service brings urgent medical assistance to anywhere in the province, operating seven days a week for 12 hours per day. The HEMS team attend patients who are seriously ill or injured, bringing emergency pre-hospital care direct to the casualty with the aim of saving lives, brains and limbs. The aircraft can reach anywhere in Northern Ireland in approximately twenty-five minutes. As a local charity, Air Ambulance NI aspires to raise £2.5million each year to maintain and sustain this service so public donations are crucial.