100 mission milestone

Ireland’s first charity-led air ambulance has delivered more than 100 missions within its first two months of service, it was revealed this week as a major fundraising appeal was launched.

The new air ambulance is ahead of target to deliver a forecast 500 life-saving missions per annum. However, €2 million will have to be raised each year to keep the service airborne.

The service, based outside Millstreet, is being led by Irish Community Rapid Response (ICRR) and delivered with the HSE National Ambulance Service (NAS) and the Department of Health.

A public appeal involving a nationwide raffle called Flight for Life is about to go live. The major prize will be a once in a lifetime helicopter trip from Italy to Ireland, flying over the Alps, on board a new helicopter.

The charity also announced that it has secured a back-up helicopter which will be permanently housed in the hanger at the Rathcoole base in north-west Cork. The back-up helicopter came into use last week while the main helicopter was undergoing routine servicing. It will remain at the airbase as a back-up aircraft, which is normal for an air ambulance service.

ICRR Chairperson Fergal Conlon called for strong public support and said that a new chief operations officer (COO) has been appointed to lead the fundraising work.

He said: “The air ambulance is a very positive and needed service which is saving lives and has already come to the aid of more than 100 families in two months. I am delighted to announce that an experienced fundraiser and charity sector leader Lynda Stopford has been recruited as ICRR’s new COO and she will lead the fundraising campaign. She will be working with staff, volunteers and a Cork-based fundraising consultancy to reach our targets.”

Partnerships with major public events and community-based fundraising events are planned, too. Details of the fundraising drive can be found at icrr.ie.