ICE Queen Shelley Rudman pledged her support to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance when she visited its base to launch a new fundraising venture on Saturday.

The 32-year-old Skeleton Bobsleigh World Champion visited the evizes base with her daughter, Ella, to launch the Just Text Giving campaign, which coincided with Air Ambulance Week.

Pewsey-born Shelley decided to support the charity after her cousin’s husband was taken to hospital by air following a motorbike accident in May.

She said: “I think the air ambulance does an amazing job and this was made more real to me a few months ago.”

The base was hoping to get a visit from Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason on Tuesday, but it was hampered by bad weather.

The 69-year-old rock star was due to fly from London in his helicopter, decorated with a cloud motif, but was unable to fly due to the fog.

He said: “I still intend to visit at the next possible opportunity. It’s a cause dear to my heart.”

A charity skydive, in aid of Wiltshire Air Ambulance, was postponed on Saturday, because of rain.

To mark the start of National Air Ambulance Week, Luke MacCallum, a paramedic with the charity, was expected to lead a team of fundraisers doing a tandem jump at Old Sarum Airfield in Salisbury. The leap has been rearranged for Saturday, October 19.

Trowbridge business consultant Ashley Hutchinson, 35, of A&S Business Consult-ancy, raised £3,300 for the air ambulance service when he completed a 300-mile bike ride from London to Paris on Saturday with one of his clients, Geoff Mitchell, of Bath.

For information on other fundraising events running this week, go online to www.

wiltshireairambulance.co.uk.