The Yorkshire Air Ambulance is an independent charity providing a life saving rapid response emergency service to 5 million people across Yorkshire. We fly seven days a week, 365 days a year, covering a vast landscape that not only includes major cities and motor ways, but also rural and isolated locations.

To keep providing this life saving service the YAA charity needs to raise £7200 per day to keep both of Yorkshire's Air Ambulances maintained and in the air. The generosity that we receive is the life blood of the air ambulance charity and with out this generosity, we would not be able to provide the service that we are so proud of.

It may surprise you to know that the Yorkshire Air Ambulance Charity relies on the generosity of individuals and organisations to help save lives across Yorkshire. In fact as a charity we only receive help through secondment of paramedics from the NHS. To keep both of Yorkshire's ambulances in the air we need to raise £7200 per day. This is equivalent to £2.65 million per year.

As a rapid response air emergency service the charity serves a population of approximately 5 million people across 4 million acres. Our two air ambulances operate from Leeds Bradford International Airport and Sheffield City Heliport and together both air ambulances cover the whole of the region.

The charity was set up in 2000 and with the addition of the second air ambulance in October 2007, we were the first Air Ambulance in the UK to own and operate a Dedicated Air Desk. With the addition of the Air Ways Communication Systems, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance has developed into a sophisticated emergency service that provides state-of-the-art emergency medial care throughout Yorkshire.
The swift medical interventions provided by our air ambulance crews have a major impact on a patient's chance of survival and subsequent quality of life.

Yorkshire has a vast topography that not only includes remote, rural and densely populated areas but also includes major motorways and road networks. The fast medical response that the air ambulance service provides is vital to a patient who has received major trauma, especially those with head and spinal injuries, as the air ambulance can avoid traffic congestion and uneven road surfaces.

On average, when a patient has been received by the YAA, they will always be only 10 minutes from the nearest hospital and 15 minutes from the most relevant treatment centre. In some cases, this can save people's lives.

Both of Yorkshire's air ambulances are MD902 Explorers and have state-of-the-art medical and helicopter specification. The first air ambulance, based at Leeds Bradford International Airport is known as G-SASH and the second air ambulance based at Sheffield City Heliport is known as G-CEMS. Both helicopters can reach speeds of up to 160 mph and together cover the whole of the region seven days a week, 365 days a year.