Air ambulance appeal for Cumbria

The air ambulance costs £70,000 a month to operate

A fund raising appeal begins on Wednesday for an air ambulance to be based in Cumbria.

Helicopters are currently based in Blyth in Northumberland and on Teesside.

In the past year they attended more than 40 serious incidents in Cumbria.

The appeal will get under way at an event at Penrith Rugby Club on Wednesday.

Patients in Cumbria can be carried by either the Great North Air Ambulance (GNAA), based on Teesside, or its North West counterpart stationed in Blackpool.

Recently the North West Air Ambulance made an appeal for funding as it announced it would open an office in Kendal.

But after 18 calls to Cumbria in a six month period, the North East-based crew has decided to start fundraising for an air ambulance just for Cumbria.

A spokesman for the Great North Air Ambulance said £300,000 is needed, but if local businesses are supportive a new aircraft could be taking off in months. It costs £70,000 a month to operate.