PROFESSIONAL rugby player Tom Dunn has come onboard as a Charity Ambassador with Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

Tom, who is from Wiltshire and plays as a hooker for Bath Rugby Club, has pledged to support the lifesaving charity.

“Being a Wiltshire boy I know how important Wiltshire Air Ambulance is and that it relies on donations, as it is not funded directly by the Government. The charity airlifted a friend of mine several years ago and it is a vital service. It can mean the difference between life and death if you are critically injured or ill,“ he said.

Tom, 26, was brought up in Chippenham and went to King’s Lodge Primary School followed by Sheldon School.

He played for Chippenham Rugby Club and the Dorset & Wilts senior team before making his debut for Bath in December 2012, while studying at Bath University. He made the transition from the academy to the first team at The Rec in 2015.

Tom is in the senior England performance squad and played against the Barbarians last season. He was named in the training camps ahead of the 2019 World Cup, starting in September.

Tom now lives in Bath and has often seen Wiltshire Air Ambulance landing next to the Royal United Hospital’s Accident and Emergency department to deliver patients for emergency treatment.

Tom, whose parents still live in Wiltshire, recently visited the charity’s airbase at Semington, near Melksham, for the first time with his partner and two children and met members of the aircrew and charity staff.

He said: “The airbase is an awesome facility and the work everyone does is really impressive. I’m really excited to be an Ambassador for Wiltshire Air Ambulance and I will do what I can to support the charity.”

Barbara Gray, director of income generation and communications at Wiltshire Air Ambulance, said: “It’s great to have Tom Dunn supporting our charity and we’d like to thank him for becoming a Charity Ambassador. As a Wiltshire person he understands the importance of our lifesaving service and we hope his involvement will help raise awareness and the funds we need to raise to continue saving lives.”