Royal British Legion

MEMBERS of the Henley branch of the Royal British Legion were given a talk on the Thames Valley Air Ambulance.

Branch member Angus Ross, a volunteer fundraiser for the service, spoke at the branch’s monthly lunch held at Henley Rugby Club in Marlow Road.

Mr Ross, who lives in Laureate Gardens, Henley, and is a former RAF pilot, became involved with the charity in 2006 when he was mayor of Wokingham and chose it as his beneficiary for his year of office.

He said: “I chose it because of my air force background but also because there had been a number of children’s charities and things before that and I wanted something different.

“What is very noticeable is how much more appreciation there is of the air ambulance service now than there was in 2006.”

Mr Ross said the first example of air transportation in support of medical activities took place during the siege of Paris in 1870. A total of 160 patients was removed from the city by means of an observation balloon.

The Thames Valley Air Ambulance, which serves Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, began in 1999. The service operates its helicopter from RAF Benson and has its headquarters in Stokenchurch.

Mr Ross spoke about the specialist skills possessed by the paramedics in the ambulance crews, including their ability to perform procedures such as open-heart surgery at the scene of incidents.

In 2023, the Thames Valley Air Ambulance was called out more than 3,000 times and delivered advanced care to more than 2,000 people. The service receives no government or Lottery funding and relies entirely on donations.

Mr Ross said: “Each mission costs an average of £3,600 if by helicopter and about half that if by vehicle, so we are always fundraising. Every penny we raise makes a difference.”

At the end of the talk, members were given the opportunity to make a donation to the charity in exchange for a number of small gifts such as teddies, pens, car stickers and fridge magnets.

Emma Dodd