On Monday, 28th October, Magpas Air Ambulance opened its doors to the public for the first time since moving to the new airbase in Alconbury Weald late last year.
The open day saw more than 100 people experience an inside look into the service which saves lives in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and across the East of England 24/7.
Families spent time playing themed games and quizzes in the visitors' centre, as well as learning about the charity's rich history, before setting off to explore other areas of the base. Elsewhere, supporters had the opportunity to experience patient and support stories via video and get a closer look at some of the state-of-the-art training equipment and rapid response vehicles the medical team use to provide lifesaving care to patients in need.
Visitors also got to see the air ambulance helicopter take off as the Magpas Air Ambulance medical team was dispatched to incidents in the area.
Around a third of the attendees signed up for an additional hour of free CPR and defibrillator training, with others practicing the potentially lifesaving skill at the charity's CPR kiosk. Magpas Air Ambulance is one of the first air ambulance charities in the country to have one of these new learning facilities, which helps drill the primary skills for CPR in just 30 seconds.
Ruth Beck, Magpas Air Ambulance's Community Fundraising Manager said, "We've worked hard to make the Magpas Air Ambulance base a community space for our supporters to find out more about our service in a fun and engaging way. It was an exciting milestone for us to be able to welcome so many local friends and families to the base in one day, and wonderful to hear that everyone had a really enjoyable time."
The day proved extremely popular, with all 120 spaces being booked within 24 hours. As such, Magpas Air Ambulance has opened up a mailing list for supporters to sign up to be the first to hear about future open days. Get your name on the list today.
