Charity celebrates those going above and beyond at awards ceremony
Heroes from across a Midlands life-saving charity were recognised with awards at a gala event.
Midlands Air Ambulance Charity recognised a number of local heroes at its Recognition Awards and Charity Ball held at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham.
The event, which celebrates the service’s lifesaving aircrew, dedicated fundraisers, supporters, corporate partners, and volunteers, was hosted by TV’s Alison Hammond and Heart West Midlands’ Ed James and was sponsored by Halesowen-based IT company, EBC Group.
As well as recognising individuals and organisations that have made a significant difference to the charity over the past 12 months, the evening also raised £74,000 for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s rapid response emergency service.
The charity said the amount will help make 49 lifesaving missions possible, with 23 via air ambulance and 26 in the organisation’s fleet of critical care cars.
The Crew Award, which is awarded to a member of the clinical or operational team who has been recognised by their colleagues for going above and beyond the call of duty to support patient care, was won by patient liaison leads and critical care paramedics Kerry Hemus & Rob Davies.
The charity said Kerry and Rob had embraced their shared role of patient liaison leads with passion, compassion, empathy and a clear vision of supporting patients, their families and loved ones, and using the information they gather to help continuously improve Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s lifesaving service for future patients.
The two worked together to present how the original role for a patient liaison lead could be enhanced by having two of them sharing the role.
The Corporate Partnership Award, which is awarded to an organisation and its employees who have demonstrated hard work, initiative and commitment through their CSR policy to raise awareness of and vital donations for the charity, was won by Tipton & Coseley Building Society
Tipton & Coseley started supporting Midlands Air Ambulance Charity in 2018 as they chose the lifesaving service as its Charity of the Year and has continued to support Midlands Air Ambulance Charity by donating £50,000.
The Star Award, which is awarded to a group, organisation or individual that has gone above and beyond to support the charity, was won by Jamie Fear.
Jamie from Dudley completed the Wolf Run alongside his best friend Thomas's brother Josh and has raised more than £6,000 to thank Midlands Air Ambulance Charity for the treatment provided to Thomas and Josh in a car accident in November 2021.
The accident saw Thomas die and Josh left with injuries to his brain, neck and back, but after weeks in a coma, he recovered.
The Special Incident Award, which is awarded to a specific clinical/operational team who demonstrated exceptional skills and teamwork on a particularly challenging mission, was won by Chris Brooke (critical care paramedic) and Dr Matt Rowley (pre-hospital emergency medicine doctor).
The pair helped to save the life of a seven-year-old boy who was crushed by a crash mat at a trampoline park in Telford and suffered a cardiac arrest.
Dr Rowley and Mr Brooke assessed his condition and treated him at the scene, administering drugs to sedate him and intubate him, then transferring him to hospital where he recovered and the family made a public thank you for saving his life.
Finally, the Inspiration Award, which celebrated an extraordinary individual or group connected to the charity who is a source of inspiration and pride, was won by Nigel and Christine Davis
Nigel suffered an out of hospital cardiac arrest at his home in Tipton, surrounded by his wife and family, and was resuscitated by one of Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s critical care paramedics, Richard Apps, working alongside ambulance service paramedics.
Nigel and his wife, Christine, felt they had been given a second chance of life together and bought a caravan where they tend to spend their days.
They were also approached by the charity to help raise awareness of the importance of bystander CPR, which helped to save his life before the crew arrived on scene.
Emma Gray, chief operating officer for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, said: “As a pre-hospital emergency service founded within our local communities, we are extremely proud of all our deserving winners from this year’s Awards and Charity Ball who have helped to raise awareness of our charitable status and funds to ensure we can operate into the future.
“We appreciate the support we receive from all our fundraisers, volunteers, donors and corporate partners across the counties we serve and would like to congratulate all our winners on the night.”
