MANSFIELD: Marks and Spencers staff give welcome boost to Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire Air Ambulance campaign

Staff at the Marks & Spencers Mansfield Westgate store have held various fundraising events over the past 18 months and raised £3000 for the Linc and Notts Air Ambulance, which they presented to fundraising volunteers sue and Gerald Halpin on Monday. Handing over the cheque (l-r) store manager Lauren Robinson and sports and social events organisers, Tracy Plumb, June Mason, Will Atkinson and Lorraine Renshaw. Lynn Phillips was not available for the photograph.

As the stores chosen charity for 2013, the bumper cash will provide vital funds to keep the life-saving service flying.

Representatives from the town centre store presented the cheque to air ambulance representatives on 18th November.

June Mason, who helped to organise the fund raising in store, said: “Each year we put the store’s chosen charity to a vote and this year the air ambulance was unanimously chosen by staff.

“We have done various fund raising events in the store throughout the year including cake bakes and raffles.

“Around 97 per cent of the money raised was by store staff.”

The money will add to Chad’s campaign to raise £300,000 for the volunteer-run service.

Readers have given generously over the last few months but the service relies on donations to keep flying.

Each mission costs £1,000. Since it first began operations in Lincolnshire in April 1994, it now carries out in the region of 300 rescue operations in Nottinghamshire alone each year.

The air ambulance is based at RAF Waddington, south of Lincoln.

Unaffected by road congestion, country roads or road works, the helicopter can reach any destination in Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire in just 19 minutes.

To support the lifesaving work of the air ambulance, donations can be made by cheque to LNAACT Chad campaign and sent to Unit 2 Chase Park, Daleside Road, Nottingham, NG2 4GT.

Card payments can be made by calling 01522 548 469 using Chad campaign as your reference.