It may have come to your attention that ‘The Air Ambulance Service’ (TAAS) has recently received some adverse publicity in an article in the national press.

Firstly, we want to assure you that we, Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC), are in no way affiliated with or connected to ‘The Air Ambulance Service’. TAAS is, in fact, an independent air ambulance charity which only covers Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland. The allegations made against them in the article relate to TAAS alone.

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity is an independent charity covering Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, North Somerset and surrounding areas. We take our responsibilities as a charity working to provide Critical Care to the local community very seriously. We are members of the Institute of Fundraising, are registered with the Fundraising Regulator, the Gambling Commission and are regulated by the Charity Commission, as well as all the other regulatory bodies that apply to all companies.

The Association of Air Ambulances (AAA) represents 21 independent air ambulance charities, and as full members we agree to follow a clear code of good conduct, which includes the Codes of Fundraising Practice set out by the Fundraising Regulator.

The AAA has released a statement stating that they will be suspending TAAS pending the outcome of a formal investigation by the Charity Commission and the AAA.

We would like to assure all our supporters that this decision will in no way affect Great Western Air Ambulance Charity, and we continue to carry out our life-saving work across the region. We hope that the alleged activities of a different air ambulance charity will not affect the support we get from the local communities in the south west, as we do our very best to act in an ethical and transparent manner, and depend on the goodwill and generosity of local people to keep operating.

If you have any questions relating to this, please email us on pr@gwaac.com