THROUGHOUT this week, Lye’s Midlands Air Ambulance Charity is joining a nationwide celebration to raise awareness for air ambulance causes.

Between today (Monday, September 19) and Sunday (September 25), 20 air ambulance charities from across the UK will come together to celebrate National Air Ambulance Week.

The Dudley Road charity will this year focus on the funds generated from its collection tins across the Midlands, which raise an average of £39 per tin per year, a collective of £350,000.

This money – an increase of 62 per cent from just three years ago – helps to fund the fuel for the charity’s three air ambulance helicopters for an entire year.

Jason Levy, fundraising and marketing director for the charity, said: “Midlands Air Ambulance Charity receives no government or National Lottery funding, so every penny donated really does make a difference to our lifesaving service.

“We would encourage our supporters to pop their spare pennies in one of our collection tins when they see one, and if you’re a business, give us a call and we can provide you with a tin to help you support the charity.”

National Air Ambulance Week is an initiative created by the Association of Air Ambulances (AAA) and celebrates the work of local air ambulance charities, giving them a national voice and an opportunity to promote the work they do at a local level.