Tesco NI raises over 22k for Air Ambulance NI
Tesco customers across Northern Ireland have raised over £22,000 for emergency services charity, Air Ambulance NI.
The Tesco ‘Red Day’ campaign promoted volunteer collections at Tesco stores across Northern Ireland. In its fourth consecutive year, this has been the initiative’s best one so far. The campaign mobilised 100 Air Ambulance NI volunteers in 34 stores.
Air Ambulance Northern Ireland is a registered charity working in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Services (HEMS) and is the only provider of a helicopter emergency service for all the people across NI.
The HEMS team brings emergency pre-hospital care to seriously ill or injured patients in the aim to save lives, brains and limbs. Operating seven days a week, this life-saving service brings urgent medical assistance to anywhere in Northern Ireland, within 25 minutes.
As the charity aspires to raise £2.5m each year to sustain and develop the service, every little helps. And Kym Coulter, Customer Service Manager at the Crumlin Superstore, Co. Antrim, has shown that their community may be small but is certainly mighty. This year, the store raised over £1,200 – a great change from the £200 donation in 2023.
“Crumlin is a small village, but we live in a very tight community,” Kym explained. “I got in touch with the local primary and secondary schools, Crumlin Integrated Primary School, Saint Joseph’s Primary School and Gaelscoil Ghleann Darach, for extra help. We had kids from P3 to P7 as well as high school students in their uniforms asking for donations with collection buckets and had an amazing result in just one day!
“Air Ambulance NI is very close to our heart, and it is phenomenal to be able to contribute and make a difference for a service for the whole community in NI.”
Colleen Milligan, Business Development & Project Manager at Air Ambulance NI, said: “We rely entirely on support from the public and local businesses. “Without the efforts and amazing teamwork demonstrated by Tesco staff such as the amazing Kym and Air Ambulance volunteers, this amazing total would simply not be possible.
“Currently, it costs £6850 each day to keep the medical team in the air and this terrific contribution will fund three entire days of our service, helping a potential six people for whom the worst has happened. A special thank you to all the wonderful customers who took the time to donate at your local Tesco and to all the community champions and staff who went above and beyond to make the collection a great success. It’s not only the medical crew who save lives but also the people who support the service.’’
With the ‘Red Day’ campaign, Tesco has contributed over £50,000 to the charity, not including previous support through bag packs, donated vouchers, and a grant from the Tesco foundation.
To learn more about Air Ambulance NI and its life-saving services, visit www.airambulanceni.org
