On Friday 1st August, Air Ambulance Northern Ireland welcomed Tom Yaxley to its base as part of his ‘Ride4Hugo’ Airbase Challenge.
Tom from England is currently cycling to all air ambulances across the UK in memory of his younger brother Hugo Yaxley who sadly passed away in 2020 following a road traffic collision. The route will take him from Perth in Scotland to Cornwall, with a sea crossing to Northern Ireland and visits to 21 air ambulance charities across the UK. The journey covers around 3,000km with more than 25,000m of elevation.
The Ride4Hugo campaign is a tribute to Hugo’s character, combining his love of cycling with a deep sense of purpose. The campaign is raising funds for Air Ambulances UK, Place2Be, and the Sir Hubert Von Herkomer Arts Foundation (HvH ARTS). Thomas is supporting HvH ARTS not only because it reflects Hugo’s creative spirit, but also in memory of his auntie Helen McCrory — best known for her performance in Peaky Blinders — who was the patron of the charity.
Arriving off the ferry from Scotland and three hours ahead of schedule in Northern Ireland for his second air ambulance base visit, Tom met with members of the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) team and Air Ambulance NI Charity. Damien McAnespie, Area Fundraising Manager, said, “It was lovely to meet Tom and to hear about the huge efforts he is going to raise funds and raise awareness for all air ambulances in his brother’s memory. I would encourage everyone to follow Tom’s journey on social media via ‘Ride4Hugo’ and to support his fundraising efforts. We wish Tom the best of luck over the next two weeks as he continues his airbase challenge with the remaining nineteen air ambulance base visits.”
For more information, please visit www.ride4hugo.co.uk or to make a donation to his Airbase Challenge, visit https://www.givewheel.com/fundraising/6288/ride4hugo-2025/