A CHARITY that helps provide vital emergency medical care across the royal county now has a royal patron.
Thames Valley Air Ambulance said that it delighted to announce that The Countess of Wessex has accepted the role and that in doing so recognises the contribution the charity makes to saving lives to the community. It also reflects The Countess’ long-standing involvement with the charity, which she has supported for many years.
It is hoped that the official association with the Countess will help highlight that Thames Valley Air Ambulance is a charity which relies entirely on public donations.
Having personally benefited from its crew in 2001, the Countess knows how, every day, anyone in the community could be in urgent need of the organisation’s emergency service.
Thames Valley Air Ambulance’s Chairman Sir Tim Jenner said: “We are truly honoured that Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex has accepted our invitation of Royal Patronage.
“It reflects her long-standing interest in our service and formally recognises how vital our emergency service is to our community.
“With the Countess’ support, we will continue to push the boundaries of advanced pre-hospital care to give our patients the best possible chance of survival and recovery.”
The Royal patronage follows The Countess’ recent visit to the emergency medical provider’s new charity headquarters. During the visit she met one of Thames Valley Air Ambulance’s Critical Care Paramedics, Emma Gray.
She said: “It was an honour to meet Her Royal Highness during her last visit to us. It was clear that she has a passionate interest in our service, particularly in our innovative medical equipment.
“The Countess was also keen to learn more about how our teams of Paramedics and Doctors work together to provide hospital-level care to our patients on scene.”