KENT, Surrey and Sussex (KSS) Air Ambulance have launched a major fundraising campaign to raise £1 million to purchase their helicopter outright.
The fundraising appeal, Buy it for Life, will help the charity secure the future of their helicopter.
Until now, they have leased their second air ambulance. The charity said purchasing the helicopter will give them greater security and help them save almost half a million pounds a year.
Having full ownership of the helicopter would also mean the charity can proceed with plans to fly for six more hours every day so they can help more patients and save more lives.
Saving this money will also enable the future development of KSS’s ability to fly in more challenging weather conditions and their ability to grow their patient and family aftercare service, and introduce more community prevention and education initiatives.
As part of the appeal, and for the first time, supporters can have the chance to have their name on the helicopter.
David Welch, the chief executive, said: “Demand for our service has been growing year-on-year and has never been greater.
“Last year we made a record number of more than 3,300 missions to people in urgent need of our lifesaving care. We must continue to respond to this growing need, now and into the future.
“That’s why we now urgently need the people of Kent, Surrey and Sussex, to help us raise the final £1 million to buy our air ambulance.
“Owning rather than leasing our air ambulance will secure the future of our helicopter and allow us to increase the number of hours we can fly every day, as well as continue to improve and innovate our lifesaving care.
“This will mean that we can reach even more patients and save even more lives.
“But we only have until the end of May to raise the funds as it is a time-limited window in our new contract with our aviation partner.
“For your community. For your family. For your friends. Please help buy our air ambulance helicopter so that when the worst happens, we can keep even more families and loved ones together.”
Every day, the air ambulance is called to the most serious medical emergencies in Kent, Surrey and Sussex, making around nine missions every day.
The charity’s air ambulance helicopter is like a flying emergency room, getting their specialised doctors and paramedics, and lifesaving treatment, to loved ones when they need it the most.
Chris Pounds from Tonbridge was crushed by by a tractor when working along miles from anywhere. He managed to call 999 and a KSS air ambulance was dispatched.
He said: “It was the medical intervention that they brought to me, lying in a field in the grass with crush injuries that saved my life.
“If the air ambulance hadn’t got there I wouldn’t have survived, it’s as simple as that.
“We never know in our daily lives what is going to happen. We wake up, go to work, do the things we are going to do. But there may be a time when we, a loved one, a friend, a child, needs that intervention.
“The help that KSS brings is beyond what you would normally get.
“Situations change in seconds and to have the air ambulance to support people across Kent, Surrey and Sussex is s godsend and something we all really need to support.”
Anyone donating £100 or more can have their name, name of a friend or family member, team, community group or business, or the name of a loved one in their memory, on the air ambulance, making them a part of every lifesaving mission.
To secure one of the limited number of spaces visit aakss.org.uk/helicopter
 Air Ambulance have launched their biggest fundraising campaign to raise £1 million to purchase their helicopter outright. ){kind=link}