Rooftop solar panels help GWAAC generate renewable energy and cut costs
August 1, 2024
Bristol Airport Golf Day raises £21,000 for GWAAC
September 20, 2024
The annual Air Ambulances UK Awards of Excellence is just around the corner, and we’ve recently learned that we’ve been shortlisted in two categories:
- Breaking Barriers
- Young Person of the Year
This is a wonderful tribute to the hard work and dedication shown by our charity staff, crew and supporters for the lifesaving service that we provide. Air Ambulances UK has confirmed that the awards judging panel deliberated long and hard over some difficult decisions due to the excellent quality of nominations.
We’re very proud of our shortlisted nominees; find out why below.
About the awards
The Awards of Excellence celebrates and recognises the specialist lifesaving critical care skills and commitment of those working tirelessly within and in support of the air ambulance community.
The 2024 awards ceremony will take place at Coventry Building Society Arena on the 28 November. Some of Great Western Air Ambulance Charity’s (GWAAC) crew, charity staff, and supporters will be there to celebrate with the wider air ambulance community.
Last year we celebrated as the Polledri family won Charity Supporter of the Year for their incredible work fundraising to place defibrillators in Bristol and beyond since the loss of their son Sam.
Simmy Akhtar, CEO of Air Ambulances UK, said: “Congratulations to everyone who has been shortlisted for the Air Ambulances UK Awards of Excellence 2024. The calibre of talent across the air ambulance sector is truly inspiring, and we are so grateful to everyone who took the time to submit nominations, highlighting the incredible contributions made by individuals and teams throughout the sector. We are deeply appreciative of our judging panel for their dedicated efforts in selecting this year’s shortlist. We look forward to coming together to celebrate these outstanding individuals and teams at our annual Conference and Awards of Excellence on 28 November.”
The Polledri family and Lisa Mazzotta win Charity Supporter of the Year at the 2023 AAUK Awards of Excellence
GWAAC's finalists
A Great Western Hearts defibrillator installed at the Malcolm X Community Centre in St Paul's, Bristol
Breaking Barriers Award – Great Western Hearts and Defibrillator Mapping Tool
Our Great Western Hearts programme has been nominated this year for its work in making public access defibrillators available to all, reducing health inequalities in our region.
Thanks to essential data provided by South Western Ambulance Foundation Trust (SWASfT), we have developed a ‘Defibrillator Mapping Tool’ that allows us to pinpoint areas where defibrillators are most needed based on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) occurrence. We found a correlation between high OHCA risk and deprived areas. In the last 12 months, we have installed 24 defibrillators in the top 30% of areas with the highest socio-economic deprivation in the region we serve. The programme has also delivered essential CPR and defibrillator training to further strengthen the chain of survival for these communities, building new relationships along the way.
The nomination also recognises the hard work of those involved in securing funding from Bristol City Council to install 52 defibrillators across the city, as well as the Sam Polledri Foundation which has raised over £25,000 for even more defibs. We are currently seeking to host these fully-funded defibrillators in Bristol!
Great Western Hearts is no stranger to the AAUK Awards of Excellence. In 2022, our defibrillator project was nominated for Innovation of the Year, whilst Heartstarter Volunteer Pino was highly commended in the Volunteer of the Year category. And last year, the Polledri family won the Charity Supporter of the Year award for their tireless work fundraising for defibrillators across our region.
Young Person of the Year Award – Ethan Ross-Smith
Ethan’s dad, Tim, joined GWAAC as Operations Officer in October 2023. Little did we know at the time that we’d be getting two for the price of one. Tim and Ethan have been the ultimate package deal. It is clear that Ethan is inspired by our crew and he is fascinated by our lifesaving work.
Ethan has thrown himself into anything and everything to help support Tim and his colleagues. Whether he’s been fundraising or volunteering, Ethan has done all sorts to support GWAAC, such as:
- Abseil 75 feet from the roof of Ashton Gate stadium, raising over £240 in the process
- Volunteer at numerous community events across our region during the summer, taking on the responsibility of guiding attendees around our critical care cars and much more
- Participating in a GWAAC photography shoot on a hot summer day to act as a patient so our crew could simulate a serious road traffic collision
Ethan posing at our photoshoot (image taken from a simulation)
Good luck to all!
GWAAC would like to wish all those who have been shortlisted for an award the very best of luck. You are all amazing!
