Julie Walters flies to support of Midlands Air Ambulance
Six times Bafta and Golden Globe award-winning Black Country actress Julie Walters is the latest celebrity from the world of television and film to become an ambassador to the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity.
Julie, who hails from Smethwick, will help raise awareness of the charity's lifesaving work in its 25th anniversary year.
She will join a host of stars from the worlds of sport and entertainment who have agreed to become ambassadors, including the likes of former Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond, former F1 racing drivers David Coulthard and Nigel Mansell and Harry Potter actor James Phelps.
Julie has a particular affinity to the lifesaving work of the charity, not only is she from the Midlands, but before her glittering career as an actress she was a nurse at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth hospital.
Julie has won two Bafta Film awards and four Bafta TV awards, as well as a Bafta Fellowship in 2014. She first came to prominence as an actress in 1983 for her starring role in Educating Rita, which earned her not only an academy award but also a Golden Globe.
She said: "I am absolutely delighted to support and help raise awareness of the lifesaving work of the Midlands Air Ambulance charity in its 25th anniversary year as part of #AIR25.
"I was astonished to learn that the charity has to raise £7 million each and every year and receives no funding from either the Government or the National Lottery and relies solely on the generosity of the local people across the Midlands.
"The pilots, flying doctors and paramedics all do an incredible and amazing job literally saving lives every day. I fully support the lifesaving work of this brilliant charity across the entire Midlands area and would encourage the public to help make a difference by helping the charity or making a donation so that they can continue with their brilliant work saving lives for another 25 years."
Funding Air Ambulance receives no Government or National Lottery funding and relies solely on the generosity of the general public.
Midlands Air Ambulance Charity chief Hanna Sebright said: "We are delighted to have gained the support of Julie Walters to help us highlight the important lifesaving work we do here."
