David and Steph Bonham, from Sale, will be joining over 4,000 runners to run 26 miles through the streets of Salford Quays, Stretford, Urmston, Ashton Upon Mersey, Sale and Gorse Hill, in aid of the North West charity, which provides emergency medical care from the air.

David, 59, and Steph, 23, were inspired to raise money for NWAA after seeing the important work it does since wife and mother Carol, began working at the North West Air Ambulance Charity in July 2012.

Carol Bonham, Corporate Partnership Manager at The North West Air Ambulance Charity, comments: “The North West Air Ambulance is a great charity who rely completely on the help and generosity of people, so its great that my husband and daughter have found a new hobby which they can enjoy together and can raise money for a great cause at the same time.”

“They have been training hard over the past 4 months – I’m so proud of them both.  Myself and the rest of the North West Air Ambulance Charity team will have a cheering station on Brooklands Road to spur them, and other NWAA runners, on at mile 9 and 16!”

At least 15 runners will be taking part in the Greater Manchester Marathon in aid of the North West Air Ambulance Charity.

The North West Air Ambulance Charity’s helicopters fly 365 days a year, with the doctors and paramedics on board providing rapid treatment, hospital transfers, and ultimately, giving the gift of time to patients across the entire North West region each year.  Since it launched in 1999, the charity has flown over 11,000 missions across the region.

The charity is reliant on public and corporate donations, and this year it needs to raise more than £4.2million per year to keep both of the North West’s Air Ambulance helicopters operational and helping to save lives.

The team have currently raised in excess of £1100 throughout a variety of methods including personal sponsorship and collecting in local towns; they will be coming to the Market Centre in Crewe on Saturday 4^th May.

Taking part in the fundraiser were Crewe & Nantwich residents Natalie Gascoyne, Richard Chadwick, Greg Otto, Lionel Smith and Mark Hardy. Mark will be competing in the 2013 Virgin London Marathon for North West Air Ambulance on 21^stApril, and is hoping to beat his previous best time of 5 hours 12 minutes.

The team setting off at Dover

North West Air Ambulance is thankful to the team, with Chief Executive Lynda Brislin said “the team’s hard work and passion for the Charity has been inspirational, we are thankful for the fundraising they have done and urge people to support them”.

They are hoping to raise in excess of £2500, and anyone wishing to donate to the cause can do so at www.justgiving.com/teams/NWAALondonToParis

You’ll receive a T-shirt, sponsorship form and on-going support.

Suggested Events

Great North Swim: Location: Lake Windermere
Distance: 1 mile
Date: TBC
For details and to register, please visit: www.greatswim.org

Manchester Swim: Location: Salford Quays
Distance: 1 mile
Date: TBC
Min. age: 16 years
For details and to register, please visit: www.greatswim.org

When you’ve registered please contact: carol.bonham@nwaa.net

The young actors passed a tough audition with flying colours and charity officials believe the movie will help raise money, and public awareness to keep the region’s two emergency helicopters in the air and saving lives. Filmed in freezing conditions, the effort of the schoolchildren has won praise from charity officials.

The stars of the film are:

Sophie Melville,

from Blackpool, aged 11.

Dylan Booth,

from Bolton, aged 12.

Brandon Carroll,

from Bury, aged 11

Kyia Kulczycki-Binnall,

from Chadderton, Oldham, aged 11.

The NWAA Chief Executive Lynda Brislin said, “The filming took place on the coldest day of the year and in blizzard conditions, but the young actors were total professionals. We think the film is fantastic and firmly believe that it will encourage people to donate to the charity and find out more about us. Supporting us is very simple-child’s play you might say. We can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done.”

The stars of the film are:

Sophie Melville,

from Blackpool, aged 11.

Dylan Booth,

from Bolton, aged 12.

Brandon Carroll,

from Bury, aged 11

Kyia Kulczycki-Binnall,

from Chadderton, Oldham, aged 11.

The young actors passed a tough audition with flying colours and charity officials believe the movie will help raise money, and public awareness to keep the region’s two emergency helicopters in the air and saving lives. Filmed in freezing conditions, the effort of the schoolchildren has won praise from charity officials.

The NWAA Chief Executive Lynda Brislin said, “The filming took place on the coldest day of the year and in blizzard conditions, but the young actors were total professionals. We think the film is fantastic and firmly believe that it will encourage people to donate to the charity and find out more about us. Supporting us is very simple-child’s play you might say. We can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done.”

However, for Chris Forster and Lynden Page who are both keen motorcyclists it is some feat, as they are attempting to ride their motorcycles 1000 miles in just 24 hours.

Competing under the IRON BUTT UK regulations, Chris a full time Organic farmer and butcher, while Lynden who works in the Agricultural service industry are both committed to the cause.

Reflecting on the work of the NWAA Chris said “both of us are acutely aware of the fantastic cover that the Air Ambulance service provide for everyone. Not least that our activities both professional and at leisure may (hopefully not) at some time require their services”

Their challenge with the aptly named Saddlesore 1000 Mile Ride will start from Lancashire, taking Chris and Lynden around the North Coast of Scotland to visit our friends in the Scottish Air Ambulance at Inverness Airport.

The journey will conclude back in the North West of England, meeting one of our NWAA helicopters, based at the City of Manchester Airport.

If you wish to donate for Chris and Lynden’s Saddlesore challenge, you can via their Just Giving page: http://www.justgiving.com/organicchris.

The event, which took place at Pontins Holiday Park on 8^th, 9^th and 10^th February attracted nearly 2,000 bikers from across the UK and Europe. Attendees gave generously with almost £900 raised alone through purchasing raffle tickets and charity merchandise throughout the weekend-long event.

Forty bikers turned themselves blue for the night and donned Smurf outfits to help North West Air Ambulance volunteers, John Fallows and Dave Thompson, raise support for the charity.

Wendy Askew, Volunteer Co-ordinator at North West Air Ambulance, said: “We are thrilled with the amount raised from the event at Pontins and are very grateful to Southport’s Original Cruisers for their support. This large donation will contribute to the £4.2million needed to keep the region’s air ambulances flying and saving lives”.

“We’d also like to thank our volunteers John and Dave for going the extra mile and helping the bikers get into the fund-raising spirit”.

The North West Air Ambulance charity has been flying life-saving missions throughout the North West region since 1999. The charity needs to raise more than £4.2million per year to keep both of the North West’s Air Ambulance helicopters operational and helping to save lives.

The eight-mile walk, taking place on 20^th July from Arnside Promenade to Kents Bank, will be a great opportunity to experience the beautiful Cumbrian scenery whilst raising crucial donations for our charity.

Lynda Brislin, chief executive of the North West Air Ambulance said: “The charity’s helicopters have flown over 135 missions so far this year– with almost a quarter of these in Cumbria alone – so the Cross Bay Walk is a great way for the Cumbrian community to come together and support a local, and extremely worthwhile, cause.

“We are all really looking forward to the walk and are thrilled by the interest it has received so far.”

Our Cross Bay Walk will take place at 3.30pm from Arnside Promenade.

The North West Air Ambulance has been flying life-saving missions throughout the North West region since 1999. We need to raise more than £4.2million per year to keep both of the North West’s Air Ambulance helicopters operational and helping to save lives.

For more information and to register your details, please contact the North West Air Ambulance on 0800 587 4570.

Located on Main Street, Kirkby Lonsdale, the new store opened on Saturday 26^th January at 11.00am, and was officially opened by the first female Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria, Claire Hensman.

Many visitors arrived half an hour before the opening, giving them the opportunity to chat to ex-patients, volunteers and, Claire Hensmen, before she cut the ribbon and officially opened our new store.

North West, family-owned supermarket, Booths kindly provided visitors and volunteers with food on the day.

Jackie Northover, head of retail at the North West Air Ambulance, said: “We were thrilled to have Claire, the first female Lieutenant in the county’s history, to officially open our new store. Her background and work within the charitable sector means she understands the importance of bringing a community together to support a local, worthwhile cause.”

“Our charity’s helicopters fly over 1,200 life-saving missions a year, with almost a quarter of these in Cumbria alone, so the new store will be a great hub for the Cumbrian community and we can’t wait to see the results”.

Kirkby Lonsdale joins Garstang, Southport, Lytham St. Annes and Royal Blackburn Hospital as one of our retail hubs, helping to raise vital funds for our life-saving service.

Sales at stores have been extremely successful in generating funds, contributing to the £4.2million needed to keep our air ambulances flying and saving lives.

For more information on how you could get involved in supporting the new store or to arrange a collection, please contact us on 0800 587 4570.

We are pleased to announce that our charity account with Furness Building Society is now available to open online.  This means you now have four different ways to open an account to support our charity:

• Open your account online by visiting www.furnessbs.co.uk/nwaa
• Call Furness Direct on 0800 834312 for an application form
• Download an application form from www.furnessbs.co.uk/nwaa and send it through the post
• Visit a Furness Building Society branch or agency www.furnessbs.co.uk/find-a-branch/

Here’s how the account works:

1. As one of our supporters, you can open a North West Air Ambulance charity savings account with Furness Building Society with just  £1 and pay in as little or as much as you like up to £250,000
2. You receive a competitive rate of interest and have easy access to your savings
3. Each year the Furness Building Society pay to us 1% of the total balances in all of the North West Air Ambulance charity savings accounts from their own funds, not from your interest
4. The payment we receive from Furness Building Society doesn’t cost you a penny but by saving in one of our charity accounts you will be helping to generate a cash payment to us each and every year!

Last year we received in excess of £118,000 which went towards helping to save lives in the North West every day.

Can we count on your support?  Please open an account today – it’s never been easier!