Club supports London Air Ambulance's 30th anniversary

Today (Tuesday 30 July), London’s Air Ambulance’s iconic red helicopter landed at Hotspur Way to mark the charity’s 30th anniversary.

The charity, which was founded in 1989, delivers rapid response and cutting-edge medical care via helicopter to people living in London. It operates 365 days a year serving 10 million people who live, work and travel within the M25. To date, it has treated over 40,000 critically injured people, performed the first roadside open-heart surgery and become the first UK air ambulance to carry blood onboard.

Academy Coach Ryan Mason met representatives from the charity’s medical team, pilots and Zoe Sharp, a Spurs fan whose life was saved by the London Air Ambulance in 2010.

Zoe, who was eight months pregnant with twins, and her husband Wayne were driving in London with their two sons, Oliver and Archie, when they had a serious road traffic collision. On impact, Zoe lost a significant amount of blood and her waters broke. She was airlifted to the Royal London Hospital where she was treated immediately and her twin boys, George and Harry, were born.

Zoe said: “I am so grateful to the London Air Ambulance for saving not just my life, but my twin boys as well. The care and assistance I received at an incredibly scary time was unbelievable. The roadside care, medical treatment in the helicopter and at hospital, was second to none. As a huge Spurs fan, it’s fantastic to visit the Training Centre today with my family whilst celebrating the London Air Ambulance’s milestone anniversary.”

Ryan said: “We are proud to support this worthy cause and raise awareness of the work they do to save the lives of people living in London. A life-threatening injury can happen to anyone, at any time, and it’s vital that we have a service such as the London Air Ambulance to help us at that time of need.”

Jonathan Jenkins, CEO, London Air Ambulance said: “On behalf of the London Air Ambulance, I would like to thank Tottenham Hotspur Football Club for supporting our ‘30 Years Saving Lives’ campaign. Since we were founded, our charity has grown and we now respond, on average, to five patients in London per day that are seriously injured and require airlifting to hospital. We aim to give these patients not only the best chance of survival, but the best quality of life after serious injury. The majority of our service’s running costs are funded by generous donations from the public, and we are incredibly grateful for the support we receive.”

Tottenham Hotspur has joined forces with fellow London clubs to support the London Air Ambulance’s ’30 Years Saving Lives’ campaign. After visiting Hotspur Way, their helicopter visited Crystal Palace, West Ham and Chelsea’s respective training grounds.