An adorable air ambulance mascot spent the day visiting hero paramedics in a bid to do his bit to help as they face their busiest-ever summer.
Baxter, an 18-month-old Labrador, paid a surprise visit to the doctors, pilots and paramedics at the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) as the guest of honour to help launch one of its biggest fundraising drives to date.
Baxter’s owner, GNAAS paramedic Gordon Ingram, said: “It can be a tough job at times, especially in the summer months when we’re at our busiest. It’s a little thing but having Baxter around put a smile on everyone’s face.”
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Sophie Bendelow, a GNAAS, fundraiser, added “The whole place lights up when Baxter is around. Every office should have a Baxter.”
The air ambulance charity is predicting its "busiest ever summer", having already responded to 165 call-outs in June alone.
However, the pandemic has left it more than £1million down on its previous funding levels. It's hoped the raffle, launched by vital team member Baxter, will help meet the rising demand.
Owner Gordon said: “We’re seeing sustained demand for our critical care services. We’re now able to reach more people than ever before thanks to the new aircraft and other service improvements enabled by the public.
“But we’ve been badly hit by the effects of Covid, and we need the support to continue if we can carry on operating at this level while driving further improvements.”
The raffle gives people a chance to win a top prize of £10,000 from a £1 ticket, which can be bought now at gna.as/raffle21.
After officially opening the 2021 raffle, Baxter was declared “a very good boy” by Gordon and rewarded with a game of fetch and a pair of socks – his favourite toy.
