Keep Families Together This Winter 2025 - SCP - Great Western Air Ambulance Charity

This winter, we'll be called to help a child like Albie every day.

Watch his story:

Your donation today can give a family their tomorrow.

Your kindness could save a child's life this winter.

On average, Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) will be called to a child every day this winter. A child like Albie, who needed critical care at just three days old.

Albie's parents, Tom and Victoria, had just brought home their newborn son. They were excited for all the firsts they had yet to come as new parents – smiles, words and steps.

Everything changed in a matter of minutes during a midwife appointment, and suddenly their three-day-old baby was receiving CPR on their dining room table.

GWAAC's helicopter landed in a nearby park, and the Critical Care Crew brought the calm expertise, advanced skills and speciliased equipment needed to save Albie's life.

Today, Albie is a healthy, happy one-year-old – a milestone his parents once thought they might not see – because someone like you made sure that GWAAC could be there that day.

give the gift of lifesaving care

Albie, visiting the GWAAC base in Almondsbury.

Find our how your team can help GWAAC keep more families like Albie's together this winter.

If you and your team are looking for a meaningful way to give back to your local community this festive season, GWAAC can support you with a range of low-effort, festive-themed fundraising ideas that truly make a difference for your local air ambulance.

Specialist Paramedic in Critical Care, Jack Kilminster, remembers treating three-day-old Albie

"Responding to critically unwell or injured children is among the most complex and emotionally demanding work we do. These moments not only shape the lives of the families involved but also leave a lasting impression on the clinicians delivering emergency and lifesaving care.

When we were called to help baby Albie, just three days old, it was clear that his family’s world had changed in an instant. The joy of welcoming a newborn had been replaced by fear and overwhelming uncertainty. Albie was unresponsive and his condition was critical. In that moment, no one could predict what the next few hours and days might hold.

Situations like this highlight just how essential it is to have the right expertise, equipment, and support available at exactly the right time. Working in close collaboration with the team already at Albie's side, we were able to bring a sense of calm and coordination to a chaotic situation, stabilising Albie and doing everything possible to prevent further deterioration.

Today, seeing Albie thriving is a powerful reminder of what skilled teamwork, preparedness, and specialist care can achieve. His cheeky, happy little smile certainly brightened up the airbase and was a joy to see. It’s a testament to the importance of ongoing charitable support and funding which make it possible for our team to be there when they're needed most."

Jack, Specialist Paramedic in Critical Care