Did you know we have our very own charity? North West Ambulance Charity funds lifesaving equipment, education programmes and other projects to benefit the health, wellbeing and safety of patients, staff and our communities.

An NWAS charitable fund was established in 2008 to allow legacy gifts and generous donations from the public, businesses and grant funders to be used effectively to support the work of the service. In the last year, the charity has funded the installation of more than 100 defibrillators in public places. Each defibrillator funded and installed increases the chances of survival for an out of hospital cardiac arrest from just 5% to over 75%, if used with effective CPR within the first four minutes of an arrest.

That charitable fund has now developed into North West Ambulance Charity and with your support, it will continue to fund vital lifesaving defibrillators along with other initiatives such as school education programmes, additional equipment and clinical training aids.

Charity funds will also contribute to extra health and wellbeing schemes to support ambulance service staff who work hard all year-round to be there for North West residents at their time of need.

The work of the charity is over and above the core, NHS-funded work of NWAS.

What we fund

Over the last year, with your kind donations, the charity has funded the following for our staff and communities:

• 102 public defibrillators protecting you and your community
• Two community based rapid response vehicles
• Two advanced life support training suites to enhance patient care
• GoodSAM – a mobile activated medic app which allows staff and community first responders to respond to emergencies in their own free time if they are happening close by
• 999 Reunite – a dementia care initiative between Lancashire Constabulary, Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service and NWAS, using a wrist band that displays family or carers contact details to alleviate the need for the wearer if confused and without identification, to be taken to a police station or hospital unless a criminal or clinical need arises and puts the person in the most appropriate place of care, quickly.

We’ve also funded:

• Rockwood frailty cards to support staff to identify and provide exemplary care to people with frailty
• Awareness work for Cardiac Smart and healthy living advice, training and defibrillators
• Education for schools and for NWAS staff, giving vital lifesaving skills
• New equipment for our community first responders, supporting them to better serve you in an emergency
• Patient experience programmes to highlight how our service can specifically assist certain patient groups, such as older people, with support around risk of falls and loneliness
• Dementia care awareness, to provide knowledge and understanding to staff and wider general public
• Contact cards for Patient Transport Service users to enable them to easily interact with the service
• Staff wellbeing programmes, to ensure we are caring for the carers

You can fundraise offline, or why not register your fundraiser via Just Giving and allow people to donate easily online?

Donate with a cheque

Please send a cheque made payable to ‘NWAS Charity’ with a covering letter to:

Charity Manager
North West Ambulance Service
Ladybridge Hall Headquarters
Chorley New Road
Bolton
BL1 5DD
Email: charity.office@nwas.nhs.uk

Please allow up to 14 working days for postal or email responses
North West Ambulance Service Charitable Funds is registered with, and regulated by the Charity Commission (No.1122470)

Corporate donations, fundraising or sponsorships

The charity welcomes the opportunity to discuss how you might get involved, your goals and how we can work together towards a mutually beneficial partnership. We have some unique opportunities with the work we do and the service we support and look forward to hearing from you. Please contact charity.office@nwas.nhs.uk to discuss further.

Thank you for helping us to support staff and save lives.

Follow us on Twitter: @NWAmbCharity