From ground control to major sum

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Sussex Air Ambulance Chief Pilot Steve Wood and Gatwick air traffic control general manager Ian McBean.

Staff at Gatwick air traffic control have helped keep the air ambulance flying in more ways than one, thanks to the West Sussex County Times.

 

General manager Ian McBean spotted an appeal in the newspaper by the life-saving charity for two new £120 defibrillator batteries.

 

A local company had already offered to sponsor the kit when Ian contacted West Sussex county fundraiser Delaine Shearman.

 

But workers at the Gatwick control tower still decided to pledge their donations to the Sussex Air Ambulance which relies almost entirely on public donations.

 

Ian said: “We do a charity collection every year and I just saw an article in the West Sussex County Times about the defibrillators.

 

“I just thought, ‘They’re struggling for £120’, so I went into work and asked how much was in the fund.

 

“When I found out it was £600 I e-mailed the staff asking them to support the air ambulance and everyone said it was a worthwhile cause.”

 

Last month, the helicopter was called to a woman in her 30s who suffered a cardiac arrest at the airport.

 

Chief Pilot Steve Wood gratefully received the cheque from Ian during a visit to the air ambulance base at Dunsfold near Horsham.

 

He said: “It was nice to see the face behind the voice for once and it was very good of them to put their hands in their own pockets to raise such a large sum.