WILTSHIRE Air Ambulance (WAA) is thanking everyone who took part in fundraising during Air Ambulance Week and the Big Give Christmas Challenge last year, raising just more than £20,000 combined.

During Air Ambulance Week, the theme was heroes and over 3,000 children took part by dressing up as their favourite superhero, while 17 organisations held events and there were six supermarket collections in the county. 

To date £14,158.90 has been raised and with more money still to come in, the final figure is expected to exceed £15,000.

The Big Give Christmas Challenge, which took place December 4-6, involved supporters donating online to secure matched funding during the time it was available, raised a further £6,835 including Gift Aid.

As part of the Big Give, WAA received match funding from The Andrew Smiley Charitable Trust and Candis Club.

The money raised from this online challenge will go towards funding Critical Care training for new paramedics.

Rebecca de la Bedoyere, WAA’s fundraising manager, said: “We were absolutely delighted by the support of people for Air Ambulance Week and the Big Give Christmas Challenge and we’d like to thank everyone who took part.

"Our hero-themed Air Ambulance Week must have set a Wiltshire Air Ambulance record for the number of fundraising activities happening in the county at once!

"Individuals and organisations from every corner of the county took part and had a fun time, and they are all heroes to us.

"We’re now planning an even bigger programme of events for Air Ambulance Week 2015.

“We were also thrilled to be selected to take part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge and our supporters were poised to donate at their computers when the challenge opened each day. People were magnificent and it was really successful.

"We hope to be involved in the Big Give Christmas Challenge in 2015.”