The newly founded ‘Craigs Tractor Enthusiasts’ Club, through their program of charity events for 2023, raised a grand total of £6000 for Air Ambulance Northern Ireland (AANI). Club Founder Robert McCaughey would like to express his sincere thanks to everyone who contributed throughout the year, and also to those who helped plan and organize the events; “a special word of thanks goes out to Sam Coleman for the use of his premises to host the tractor run in November, Club secretary Lauren Greer and club members Alec Gregg, Trevor Sterling, David Law and Robert Graham for their continued support” Robert said on looking back at the success of the years events.
Due to this success, a program of events for this year 2024 has already been planned, including a corn silage cutting day & trade show to be held on Saturday 17th August, with some of the country’s most prominent names in agriculture exhibiting on the day. Keep your eyes peeled for more details on the year’s events in the coming months.
Katrina Hughes, Area Fundraising Manager from Air Ambulance NI said, “We are so grateful for the support from Robert and the wider Craigs Tractor Enthusiasts group. As a charity we rely on donations from the public to keep the service sustainable and it currently requires on average £6,850 per day in fundraising. All contributions help us to continue to deliver advanced pre-hospital care to people with a sudden life-threatening injury or illness, helping to save lives and improve patient outcomes.”
The charity Air Ambulance NI, in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, provides the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service for Northern Ireland. The service brings urgent medical assistance attending to 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. Air Ambulance operates seven days a week for 12 hours per day. The aircraft can reach anywhere in Northern Ireland in approximately twenty-five minutes. On average, the doctor and paramedic team are tasked twice a day whether that is as a result of a serious road traffic collision, farm or workplace accident, sport and leisure incident or a serious medical emergency, to name a few.
The charity aspires to raise £2.5m per year through continued public support, to ensure that the service continues to be there for everyone. There are many ways to support Air Ambulance NI which will truly be making a difference to someone’s life. One of the most impactful ways you can support is by joining Club AANI.
Members of Club AANI help to keep the service operational 365 days a year, by making a small donation each month. Regular donations create sustainability for this crucial lifesaving service and allow the charity to predict regular income levels to keep the helicopter flying while looking towards the future. In return, members receive a limited-edition gold pin badge, monthly updates on the work of Air Ambulance NI and an invitation to an annual members get-together.