Co-founder of Midlands Air Ambulance retires

Those are the words of Ian Nicholls, who helped set up the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity in 1991 and has now retired after playing a huge role in growing the non-profit organisation into what it is today.

The 59-year-old from Halesowen was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 28 years ago but, keen to put others before himself, 'Mr Air Ambulance' powered on as the charity went from barely getting off the ground, to responding to an average of 2,000 missions a year with three air ambulances serving across the West Midlands.

"I started working for the ambulance service in '83, taking people to and from hospital," said Mr Nicholls.

"I became a qualified ambulance man, as it was known then, and then worked my way up to become a paramedic.

"Being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1989 was a devastating blow – I thought my life had come to an end.

"I had to stop being a paramedic, although I kept it quiet for 12 to 14 months. I couldn't believe it."

While working for the ambulance service, Mr Nicholls, who is wheelchair-bound and has his right arm as his only working limb, did a lot of fundraising and in 1989, started carrying out research on the feasibility of bringing an air ambulance operation to the Midlands.

The ambulance service chief at the time asked him to develop an infrastructure to have a helicopter, and he did.

"I set up an infrastructure of volunteers, a hotel chain came forward to help out and funded us for a month and then a fuel company did for another month," said Mr Nicholls.

"Various groups then started fundraising and I would visit rotary groups and women's institutes, and it was difficult as we were bringing something to the region they had never seen before – it meant working a lot of late nights and weekends.

"Over the years, as we grew, I met so many great people and families."

Mr Nicholls, who has been nominated for a Pride of Britain award on a number of occasions, and was also a regional finalist for the BBC's NHS Heroes in 2002, added: "I never thought I was the retiring type, because of my passion for the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity.

"As my health declined though, I had to seriously think about looking after myself.

"Seeing the helicopters go over, I feel proud for all the lives we saved and the lives the charity will continue to save.

"I wanted to make a difference to the public, and that's something I think I managed to do."