A third of the thousands of bricks needed to build a new air ambulance HQ of the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity near Cosford have been given by Ibstock Brick.
Four years in the planning, the charity’s new facility will complement its existing air ambulance-led service across six Midlands counties to help some of the region’s most critically ill and injured patients. Designed to future-proof the advanced pre-hospital emergency service, the headquarters will include a new environment for crew and charity staff, including main offices, warehousing and storage and space for two aircraft and critical care cars to allow the charity to expand its service in the future. As a recognised ‘Centre of Clinical Excellence’ for pre-hospital emergency medicine, it will also help develop clinical skills and talent.
Martin Runc, National Contract Sales Manager at Ibstock Brick, said: “Our business is at the heart of building, so there couldn’t be a more worthy beneficiary than a charity that provides lifesaving care. It was great to visit the construction site to see first-hand the difference our donation has made, and I’ll follow the progress with interest.”
Hanna Sebright, Chief Exec of Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, added: “We’ve used a proportion of our modest reserves to fund the new airbase. Therefore the brick donation is greatly appreciated and means so much. Our sincere thanks go to the whole team at Ibstock Brick.”
More than 90 per cent of funding for the new airbase and headquarters facility has been obtained via major grants from organisations such as the Department for Health and Social Care and the HELP Appeal. In addition, the charity is undertaking fundraising campaigns for specific areas of the new construction, including a clinical simulation training suite, memory garden and community education zone. The facility is expected to be completed summer 2023.
