Do horse riders financially support the air ambulance ?

[ROG]

Seen so many incidents on TV involving horse riders where the air ambulance is called that it made me wonder how many riders financially support them

 

[CrazyMare]

Yes! I also work for the ambulance service also, so I see just how often helimed goes out

 

[scheherazade]

Yes, did a sponsored swim for them earlier this year and raised £1300. Future fund raising efforts will all be for their benefit - have seen their work first hand, not just in equestrian circles and they are amazing. I have at least one friend who is only here today because of them.

 

[Abacus]

I don't do anything regularly but will donate whenever I see a collection or other way of giving them money (and a reasonable amount). I think they do amazing work and, having had them out once to a yard incident, was enormously impressed by them. Are you suggesting that horse riders should support them in a more systematic way?

 

[babymare]

My partner donates monthly as both believe its a brilliant service

 

[ROG]

Are you suggesting that horse riders should support them in a more systematic way?

No - its a charity so each to their own

I wonder if the rider/horse insurers donate part of that insurance to them ..........

 

[jenni999]

Yes I donate to my local Thames Valley AA every month

 

[RunToEarth]

Are you suggesting that horse riders should support them in a more systematic way?

I actually think we should, I think ramblers/climbers etc should also.

Our hunt organise 2-3 events every year where funds go to our local air ambulance. The trail of thought behind it is that often, when an accident happens in the middle of the field the emergency services are far more likely to send an ambicopter out than an ambulance. I think that as the nature of the sport we partake in is dangerous and largely inaccesible to a normal ambulance it is sensible to invest in a service that we as a collective sport rely heavily upon.

Putting things simply, I think horse riders should feel more of an obligation to donate than say a hockey team, whose injuries are less likely to require an ambicopter.

 

[Abacus]

I think that events that have an air ambulance present would be reasonable in asking an extra small amount (£1 say) per rider to donate to the service. Also agree and hope that most riders would feel an obligation to do so. Whether insurance companies should donate is questionable, I think.

 

[Spiritedly]

I pay each month to the Kent Air Ambulance and I know a few of the local fun rides always donate some of the entry fees to them.

 

[MrsMozart]

We do in a number of different ways. A friend often organises fund raising evenings which we attend, we're looking at giving a percentage of income in a website, and we put money in the box every time we see one.

 

[spottybotty]

I do a monthly donation for Herts and Essex air ambulance. I ride horses and motorbikes. I know my local service tried to get lottery funding but it didnt get it. It would be a great shame if any of us ever needed this service and it was unavailable through lack of funding.

 

[maryk91]

I donate monthly to Somerset and Dorset - when I signed up I was wearing riding kit and the chap looked me up and down and said 'You people are our best customers!'

 

[Tilo]

Most of our local fun rides and shows are in aid of the AA.
I always put any spare change in the collection boxes by the tills in shops.
Us horse riders have a habit of falling off in the middle of nowhere, so they are a vital service to us.

They do such a brilliant job.

 

[*hic*]

Yup, we support them monthly and whenever we see them collecting but NOT via the scam collection bags. Having made use of MAGPAS we also made a significant sum over to them for their efforts in saving my husband's life.

 

[Honey08]

A lot of our local pc and rc social events have raffles etc in aid of the air ambulance. We also give to collections when we see them, but nothing more structured. A proportion of your third party insurance going to them would be a good idea.

Does any of your car insurance contribute? Just interested as a lot of air ambulances are called to road accidents too. I watched the air ambulance TV program and the crew onboard said there are more and more call outs for accidents, and a lot of them are fake as people claiming for accidents on their insurance..

 

[ArabianGem78]

The company I work for are a big supporter of the DAAT (Devon). I donate when I spy a collection jar, and take part in the commando challenge every year which raises funds for the DAAT.

Living, and riding in a county where a lot of the land is inaccessible via vehicle (Dartmoor, the Pebblebed commons), they are a charity who need our support.

 

[RainbowDash]

Our yard runs two big events with raffles & cake sales (summer BBQ, family fun night with disco and a Xmas party) every year which raised around 1k last year and has already raised that this year thanks to a dry summer . The local hunt also do two fun rides in aid of AA which is well supported by the yard too.

E.Mids AA has been out to the yard twice in 18 months.

Other than supporting the yards events and donating raffle prizes I dont donate regularly unless I pass a collecting tin x

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

I have a monthly DD to them

 

[hayley.t]

me and some girls from my young farmers did a (tasteful) naked calendar last year for the air ambulance, we raised quite a bit. Because i'm the horsey one I had a horse in my pic and a saddle to hide my modesty so I suppose I kind of support them. I should do more though.

 

[ConnieLove]

Me and the OH do After them seeing to me after a hefty fall last year and also seeing to my Dad after a car accident and transporting him to Newcastle quite possibly saving his life. Have so much praise for those guys, they really shouldn't be charity based.

 

[ROG]

20 replies and all doing something to support them which is not only fantastic but answers the question that my wife asked me to which I replied that I think most do because I have seen stickers on the back of many vehicles belonging to riders

Personally I think this should be part of the NHS and paid for by the state

 

[hayley.t]

I do too, especially since in my local area they are used to transport patients between hospitals, surely this is something that should be covered by the NHS?

 

[RainbowDash]

Personally I think this should be part of the NHS and paid for by the state

I certainly agree with you there ROG. I think some people assume it is funded by the NHS though and comes as a huge surprise when they find out otherwise .

 

[ConnieLove]

As someone that works within the NHS... I'm not sure if I'd wish it on anyone. JOKE. *covers away in response*
hayley.t. I agree with the transporting patients within the NHS. Although I'm not sure if they pay for that or not. My hospital is small and doesn't deal with the air ambulance see. Would be interesting to know though

 

[hayley.t]

Yes Connielove I meant to add not sure if they do pay a contribution, I too would be interested to know. A friend who is a paramedic said that it happens quite frequently so I feel that they should pay something.

 

[undergroundoli]

Personally I think this should be part of the NHS and paid for by the state

I also agree.

I do donate, but not as much as I could or should.

 

[ConnieLove]

Yes Connielove I meant to add not sure if they do pay a contribution, I too would be interested to know. A friend who is a paramedic said that it happens quite frequently so I feel that they should pay something.

It does, I know that the bigger hospitals in my area transport patients for chemo as well as complex spinal injury patients along with other things, what is hospital world, isn't common but isn't terribly rare either. I really hope they pay their way though. Imagine the petrol bills on one of those things...

 

[Spottyappy]

Yes, do the local air ambulance monthly lottery. Not own yet, but at least the money raised goes to a fantastic cause, which I hope my family and I never actually need.

 

[Abacus]

20 replies and all doing something to support them which is not only fantastic but answers the question that my wife asked me to which I replied that I think most do because I have seen stickers on the back of many vehicles belonging to riders

Personally I think this should be part of the NHS and paid for by the state

Not to discourage you but as a statto I would say you are more likely to get answers from people who are interested in the subject in some way. So I would work it out as 20 divided by the number of people currently viewing the tack room (976 right now). So about 2%.