Warwickshire accident victim backs air ambulance’s bottle campaign

And Emma Lockton is now urging people to collect their empty milk bottles and fill them with change as part of the service’s annual Bottle Bank campaign to help it reach its target of raising £40,000.

Emma, whose sister Katie now works for the charity as a fundraising coordinator, was involved in a road accident that left her with a broken hand, elbow, ribs, pelvis and both femurs as well as a punctured lung and a ruptured spleen.

She said: “If the air ambulance didn’t exist, I’m sure I wouldn’t have survived. It was their speed and medical skills that saved my life. Without donations, this vital service can’t continue to function, which is why I’m proud to support their Bottle Bank campaign.”

Emma’s sister Katie said: “Our Bottle Bank campaign is a great opportunity for schools and businesses to come together and help us carry on saving lives. We are asking everyone to rinse out an empty milk bottle and fill it up with cash. From coffee mornings to non-uniform days, the possibilities to fill yours up are endless.”

Last year’s campaign, which runs throughout October, raised £30,000.

Each mission the air ambulance service runs costs an average of £1,700 and as the service receives no government funding, it must fund each mission through fundraising.

The service has celebrated both its 12th anniversary of operation and its 16,000th mission in the past month. It has been providing emergency aid to people in Warwickshire since 2003.

The WNAA flies two regional air ambulances across the counties of Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland, providing a rapid response to trauma and medical emergencies over an area of 3,850 square miles and covering many of the UK’s major road networks.

To sign up to receive a free fundraising pack, call 08454 130999 or visit www.theairambulanceservice.org.uk/bottlebank