Magpas Air Ambulance won two awards at the Air Ambulance Awards of Excellence 2024!
The national awards are held once a year by Air Ambulances UK (AAUK), the national body that represents the UK’s 21 air ambulance charities. This year, the awards ceremony was hosted by Air Ambulances UK ambassador Charlotte Hawkins at the Coventry Building Society Arena. The annual event celebrates the remarkable achievements and dedication of those who bring their specialist lifesaving skills to the air ambulance sector across the UK.
Simmy Akhtar, CEO of Air Ambulances UK, said, “Congratulations to our 2024 Awards of Excellence winners. Our judging panel was once again met with the challenging task of selecting this year’s winners. Thank you to all in our air ambulance community for your dedication to the lifesaving work of air ambulance charities across the UK.”
Among the winners were Sam Disney, Magpas Air Ambulance's Volunteer Lead, who won the Charity Staff Member of the Year award. As the charity’s first staff member dedicated to volunteering, Sam has transformed Magpas Air Ambulance’s volunteer programme. Her work has streamlined operations, introduced improved tracking systems to recognise volunteer contributions effectively, and launched a rewards system that’s already boosting engagement. Notably, she organised the charity’s largest volunteering event, leading over 250 volunteers on a tree-planting day, and launched the charity’s first monthly volunteer newsletter. Thanks to Sam’s dedication, Magpas Air Ambulance’s volunteer numbers have grown by an impressive 38%!
Scott Todd, one of Magpas Air Ambulance's Technical Crew Members, won Operations Support Staff of the Year too. Scott is an essential member of the Magpas Air Ambulance aviation crew, supporting navigation, communication, and hazard spotting, as well as overseeing key operational tasks like managing NOTAMs and coordinating fuel deliveries. Since joining in November 2022, Scott has consistently gone above and beyond, taking on challenging shifts, including Christmas Day, to ensure the charity’s operations run smoothly.
Scott is also deeply committed to engaging with supporters, leading base tours and enthusiastically sharing insights about the service. His contributions have been invaluable in recent charity campaigns, including participating in videos and the first-ever patient open evening, where he connected with former patients and inspired continued support for Magpas Air Ambulance.
Magpas Air Ambulance is also incredibly proud of Critical Care Paramedic Sarah Walter, who was highly commended in her category for not only providing outstanding critical care to patients, providing support to other emergency services on scene and taking on many non-clinical roles within the charity, such as forming part of the wellbeing committee after taking on her Mental Health First Aid training.
These accolades acknowledge just some of the incredible team members who help to provide lifesaving care 24/7 across the East of England and beyond.
