This year’s Wiltshire Business of the Year Awards Gala Dinner – being held at Center Parcs Longleat on May 5 – will be raising money for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance. Here’s what the charity is all about...

WE provide an essential Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) across Wiltshire and beyond.

Over the past 26 years, Wiltshire Air Ambulance has flown more than 16,000 potentially lifesaving missions.

We are called out approximately three times a day. The air ambulance and its specialist aircrew can scramble in

just two minutes and reach anywhere in Wiltshire within nine minutes.

The speed of our helicopter, along with the skills of our critical care paramedics, can make the difference between life and death.

We work alongside land ambulance crews and other emergency services to deliver the best medical care possible to anyone who lives, works or travels in Wiltshire.

As well as our state-of-the-art Bell 429 helicopter, we have two Rapid Response Vehicles (RRVs), which we use when the helicopter cannot fly, in adverse weather conditions.

We can only do what we do thanks to an amazing family of supporters

and volunteers.

Our aircrew, helicopter and equipment are currently housed in our Operations Centre at Police HQ in Devizes and the current lease and agreement with Wiltshire Police for this facility expires in December 2017. The lease on our administration fundraising office in Calne runs out in January 2018. Operating from two different sites has always been

a short-term measure while we undertook the job of finding a site where we can create a new custom-built airbase.

This will mean that for the first time in our history, our operational and charity teams will be together under one roof.

This will not only improve the service we offer, but will save money longer term and make it possible for us to expand our services in the future.

We have carefully considered all of the feasible options for relocating. For more than a year we searched for the right site and have found the perfect location – a 12.5-acre site at Outmarsh Farm, Semington.

This is centrally located, which means the air ambulance will still be able to reach all parts of Wiltshire in 11 minutes. We have already obtained full planning approval for this exciting project and we plan to start building in April 2017.

Thanks to an incredibly generous donation by a longstanding supporter, we are most of the way to raising the £5.1m we need to build our new airbase and equip it to the latest standards. But we still need to raise £1.25m to complete the building and fit it out with medical and helicopter equipment, fixtures and fittings. This is on top of the £3.25m we need to raise every year to keep the air ambulance flying. It’s a big challenge and we really do need your help…now.

See www.wiltshireairbaseappeal. co.uk for more details.

CAN YOU AFFORD TO MISS OUT?

THE 2017 Wiltshire Business of the Year Awards gala dinner will again take place at Center Parcs, near Longleat, on May 5.

This is a black tie event where everyone comes together to celebrate the very best of Wiltshire. Regardless of whether

they are a finalist or not, all businesses from Wiltshire are encouraged to attend. The event offers a great opportunity for

networking among with local businesses.

The evening will start with a drinks reception before sitting down to a three course dinner. The awards ceremony,

hosted by BBC Wiltshire’s Graham Rogers, takes place after dinner followed by dancing to live entertainment until 1am. Tickets are priced at £71 and are available by email at awards2017@wiltshire.newsquest.co.uk or you can call Marion Sumner on 01225 773600.

You can follow the progress of the awards at www.wiltshirebusinessawards.co.uk.

Awards

CUSTOMER & STAFF CARE AWARD sponsored by Mainline 24-7 Staffing Allmanhall An apple a day supply Apetito Bechtle CMD Recruitment Forrester Sylvester & Mackett Good Energy Method Consulting LLP Office Evolution MEDIUM SIZE ENTERPRISE AWARD sponsored by Nat West 24-7 Staffing Allmanhall Bechtle CMD Recruitment Edmont Ltd RFS Group

SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD sponsored by MJ Church Method Consulting LLP Office Evolution Gooding Accounts Ltd Miles Window Systems Neptune Aquatic Solutions NSBRC (National Self Build & Renovation Centre) Pet Rebellion Ltd Rendermedia Ltd Travelbee/Arctic Direct APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR sponsored by Wiltshire College Centraheat Heating & Plumbing Ltd Chocolate Blonde Haddon Training Purpol Marketing Ltd CREATIVE MARKETING AWARENESS AWARD sponsored by C3 Marketing NSBRC (National Self Build & Renovation Centre) Rendermedia Ltd CMD Recruitment Imagine Cruising Naturally Social

BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR AWARD sponsored by RSM Mark Miles of Rendermedia Ltd Robin Deller of Imagine Cruising Sam Gooding of Gooding Accounts Ltd Charlotte Marshall-Reynolds of Travelbee/Arctic Direct Oliver Hall of Allmanhall John Turner of RFS Group Richard Marsh of CIS Ltd Paul Coleman of CMS Group Jordan Daykin of Gripit Fixings Al Keck of Infinity Nation

SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY AWARD sponsored by BBC Wiltshire Imagine Cruising Office Evolution 24-7 Staffing Apetito Ltd Active Trowbridge Swindon Wildcats START UP BUSINESS OF THE YEAR sponsored by The Enterprise Network Naturally Social AAIR Best Supply Co Ltd Delegates VA - Virtual Assistant IBP Recruitment Ltd Niche Recruitment Ltd

OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE AWARD sponsored by Thrings Imagine Cruising 24-7 Staffing Rendermedia Ltd Gooding Accounts Ltd Allmanhall RFS Group CIS Ltd CMS Group Gripit Fixings Infinity Nation NSBRC (National Self Build & Renovation Centre) CMD Recruitment Haddon Training Method Consulting LLP Neptune Aquatic Solutions Pet Rebellion Ltd Bechtle Edmont Ltd Bluebird Care Swindon In-house Research And Training Ltd RTS Group Apetito