Wiltshire fundraiser quits over plan to pay chairman (From Wiltshire Times)

Wiltshire fundraiser quits over plan to pay chairman

11:40am Saturday 15th May 2010 in Latest News By Jill Crooks

Wiltshire fundraiser quits over plan to pay chairman

Ambulance bosses have defended their decision to appoint a paid chairman of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal, after appeal co-ordinator Melanie Gee resigned in protest.

Ms Gee gave notice to quit as soon as the Great Western Ambulance Service announced it was to take the unusual step of appointing a part-time chairman, on a salary of £200 a day.

This week GWAS communications manager John Oliver said a paid chairman was needed to move the appeal to an independent charity and this was “a more demanding and time-consuming role than that of chairman of other air ambulances.”

Asked if it had always been the case that GWAS would pay the salary of the chairman, he said he did not know.

Ms Gee said: “This is news to me. GWAS have never once said they would be paying the chairman’s salary. I would still have resigned had I known GWAS were to pay the salary as it isn’t necessary to pay a chairman. No other air ambulances have paid chairman. I feel it is morally wrong for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal to have a paid chairman.

“I think there are many people out there who support the Air Ambulance Appeal and would do the job for free.

“I had to take a stand for what I believe is right.”

Mr Oliver confirmed he wrote an email to Ms Gee on April 14 – the day after she resigned – which said the chairman would be paid by the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Trust.

This week he issued a statement saying: “Once the decision to appoint a chariman had been taken, the priority was to embark on the recruitment process as quickly as possible. Since then GWAS has sought further clarification from the Charities Commission that GWAS is legally able to pay for that role.

“GWAS has now received assurance that it is and is also appropriate for us to do so. We are therefore continuing with the recruitment process on that basis.”

In Ms Gee’s two years with the appeal, its income has risen by almost 37 per cent from £721,179 to £987,077. On a salary of £21,000, she was in charge of the appeal website, the administration, press releases, fundraising and giving talks to groups.

She is not the only one to express disquiet at the appointment.

Dr Richard Riseley-Prichard, of Allington, who is the co-founder of the appeal, and Ann Levick, of Codford, sit on the appeal’s charitable funds sub-committee as unpaid advisors alongside officials from GWAS, and both are angry.

Dr Riseley-Prichard said: “It’s contrary to the spirit of the Air Ambulance Appeal and I deplore it.

“Melanie has really done an amazing job. She’s been full of initiatives and made a lot of good friends who have become supporters. Her loss is going to be quite profound.”

Mrs Levick agreed the loss of Ms Gee was a body blow. She said: “This is a complete disaster. The management by the trustees of our charity should be deeply concerning to the people of Wiltshire who raise huge amounts of money for this valuable resource.”

Ms Gee said: “There was real momentum in the fundraising activities and it was increasing all the time. I hope that is not lost.

“I loved the job. The air ambulance is a wonderful cause and I got to meet some great people who do some fantastic things.”