Donation sees air ambulance drop in at depot

5:00pm Monday 6th October 2008

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AN AIR ambulance made a flying visit to a supermarket depot to thank staff for their fundraising efforts.

The Bolkow 105 DBS from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, usually based at Thruxton airfield near Andover, landed in the car park of Sainsbury’s distribution depot in Houndmills Road, Basingstoke, to the cheers of children from Marnel Junior School, in Popley.

Paramedics and pilots who work for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance collected a £1,000 cheque and more than 100 mobile phones gathered by Sainsbury’s staff and the school, which is in Shetland Road.

A recycling bank for ink cartridges and clothes at the depot was also cleared of its contents from the last month and, along with the phones, will go to recycling company Bag It Up. The air ambulance will be the beneficiary of the cash proceeds.

The cheque included £500 raised in advance sponsorship from a parachute jump by a Sainsbury’s depot clerical worker, 21-year-old Matt Watson.

The total was made up to £1,000 after Sainsbury’s matched the £500.

Ian Jones, 47, environmental champion at Sainsbury’s depot, said: “The children were really excited and it was brilliant to see. I’m really pleased we can do this for the air ambulance.”

Nicola Howkins, operations director of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, said: “We’re really thrilled with the generous donations from the school and Sainsbury’s depot.

“It’s fabulous because we rely solely on donations.”