The Chancellor of the Exchequer has promised £1m from Libor fines to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance during a visit to the organisation’s air base this week.
George Osborne made the funding pledge during a visit to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance air base near Wakefield, and £1m raised from Libor bank fines will go towards the charity's new £5.7m helicopter which will arrive by September 2016.
The new Airbus helicopter will replace two of the charity's current aircraft and will mean a significant saving for the organisation on operating and maintenance costs. The new helicopter will also provide paramedics with “a much more modern medical fit-out to treat and transport” patients.
George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said: “I am delighted to able to donate £1m towards funding a new helicopter for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. It’s a brilliant charity that saves lives across Yorkshire, a county very much at the heart of the Northern Powerhouse.”
Peter Sunderland, chair of Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said: “We have been working hard over the last few years to build our reserves, to ensure that when the time is right, we will be able to provide the people of Yorkshire with a brand new, state-of-the-art helicopter with the latest medical equipment and facilities.”
