Buckham Fair 2017 is proud to be held in aid of the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance services. As many of our faithful followers know, Buckham Fair is not just a fun day out but rather, a way to influence and support the services in our community who are, daily, making a different to people’s lives. Working on a rotational basis, Buckham Fair chose the 3 charities, namely Julia’s House, Weldmar Hospicecare Trust and the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance Services specifically because all of us, at some point in our lives, would need the assistance (whether directly, or for someone we love) from one of these charities, and 2017’s event is being held in aid of the wonderful services provided by the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance Teams.
Here are a few facts about this incredible charity changing people’s lives, and who depend on our support to keep doing what they’re doing:
Here’s what they say on their website:
Cost
“Our operational costs are over £2 million a year and the approximate cost per mission equates to £2,500. With public support we are also able to purchase specialist pieces of equipment that aid our paramedics’ training and help to save lives across the two counties.
Since our launch in March 2000, we have flown over 11,000 missions, many of them life-saving. Every one of the missions we fly is the result of somebody suffering a potentially life-threatening injury of accident and it is not a number that we celebrate. It simply demonstrates the need for an air ambulance that services the counties of Dorset and Somerset.”
Statistics
“In 2015, we flew a total of 675 missions. Dorset and Somerset Air AmbulanceThis is an increase of 11% on the previous year. A total of 326 missions took place in Somerset and 302 in Dorset. The 47 outstanding missions took place on the borders of our neighbouring counties: Devon, Hampshire, North Somerset and Wiltshire.
60% of our missions were to patients suffering from trauma, 39% had symptoms of a medical nature and we provided 7 hospital transfers.
We flew a total of 162 missions to road traffic incidents (24%), 124 missions (18%) to someone suffering a cardiac arrest, 92 incidents where someone suffered a fall (14%) and 82 sport/leisure incidents of which 43 (52%) were equestrian in nature.
Our busiest days of the week are Saturday and Sunday and the busiest month of the year is normally during the summer. However, during this year, the greatest increase in missions flown was in March. We will have to wait and see if this is part of a general trend.”