Together, we CAN help air ambulance patients

The way the charity Helipads For Hospitals operates has changed.

Its aims remain true to the vision of its founder, John Nowell, who flew helicopters for the RAF and who helped train Air Ambulance pilots… to increase the number of helipads around the UK in order to improve the medical outcomes of patients flown to hospitals.

The charity had targeted Leicester Royal Infirmary and Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, as priorities one and two. However, both hospitals have indicated that they do not consider a helipad as their priorities in the near future.

Also, it had been assumed that aluminium, mainly drinks cans, could be recycled, with additives, to make the raw material for helipads. However, it is now accepted that this may not be possible.

Thanks to litter-pickers across Leicestershire and the region, hundreds of thousands of cans and other items of litter are being removed from public places and roadsides. Their work is continuing and is commendable.

John and his volunteers are continuing to collect aluminium and Helipads For Hospitals will sell the alloy and will give the proceeds to the HELP Appeal charity https://helpappeal.org.uk/   

The HELP Appeal is organised and co-ordinated by The County Air Ambulance Trust. It is a registered charity in England and Wales (1057063) and Scotland (SCO45963). It raises funds to provide helipads for hospitals across the UK.

Because of these significant changes, the Helipads For Hospitals website www.helipadsforhospitals.org.uk is out of date and has been suspended while it is updated. Please bear with us… and keep in touch via our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/HELIPADSFORHOSPITALS-106734214170955

  • By picking up cans YOU can reduce litter, improving our local environment
  • By recycling aluminium cans, YOU can reduce the need to mine bauxite, the raw material, and save energy
  • By donating cans to Helipads For Hospitals (H4H) YOU could save lives

How can you donate cans?

It’s easy… just e-mail Helipads For Hospitals giving us your street address (including postcode for our SatNav), your telephone number(s) and the number of bags or cans you have.

Where can you donate cans?

This is THE BIG QUESTION we keep getting asked.

We’re working urgently with a number of potential sites to add to the sites like this one in Allington, near Grantham (pictured) where we have one-tonne bags, and in Shepshed and in Sleaford, Lincs, where we have Big Red Bins (BRBs).

John Nowell with a one-tonne bag at Allington, near Grantham
The Big Red Bin at Shepshed, with members of Shepshed Interact Club, who are supporting Helipads For Hospitals

The BRB sponsored by Sleaford Kesteven Rotary

You can see from the photos on this page that several Rotary cubs are supporting H4H by collecting tins and by donating the £600 (inc VAT) to provide Big Red Bins. In fact Rotarians are seeking a matching grant so for every £300 they raise or receive in donations, they can get a further £300, effectively halving the price.

So, if you or your employer has £300 — or even £600 — tucked away in a piggy bank, we would love to hear from you!

How can you help further?

Empty your cans fully — spillages of even a few drops of drinks per can can make our vehicles really stink! (Guinness and Coke seems to to be the worst mix).

But empty cans take up a lot of space, so if you can crush your cans (even if just by stamping on them) means they take up a lot less space in our vehicles. That means we don’t have to make so many journeys, saving time and fuel.

Members of several Freecycle groups have generously donated one-tonne builders’ bags which are in integral part of our logistics operation. If you have any spare big bags, please let us have them. That way, we’ll be recycling more than just aluminium!

Last edited: 18:45 on Monday, May 17, 2021

25 thoughts on “Together, we CAN help air ambulance patients”

    1. Thank you for your comment, it is much appreciated. Also, you can support our charity by buying some of our books, which in turn support the various Air Ambulances in their counties. The books available are ‘A Day Above Leicestershire’, ‘A Day Above Gloucestershire’, ‘A Day Above Cambridgeshire’, ‘A Day Above Yorkshire’, ‘A Day Above The Lake District’, ‘A Day Above Northamptonshire’ and ‘A Day Above Rutland’. They are all available on Amazon and we receive 50% of sales. The books are aimed at ‘Grumpy Old Men’ – who are the most difficult people to buy presents for! The book will give them something to laugh about and enjoy on Christmas Day afternoon! The books cost £14.99.
      Thank you for your support.

    1. Thank you for your comment, it is much appreciated. Also, you can support our charity by buying some of our books, which in turn support the various Air Ambulances in their counties. The books available are ‘A Day Above Leicestershire’, ‘A Day Above Gloucestershire’, ‘A Day Above Cambridgeshire’, ‘A Day Above Yorkshire’, ‘A Day Above The Lake District’, ‘A Day Above Northamptonshire’ and ‘A Day Above Rutland’. They are all available on Amazon and we receive 50% of sales. The books are aimed at ‘Grumpy Old Men’ – who are the most difficult people to buy presents for! The book will give them something to laugh about and enjoy on Christmas Day afternoon! The books cost £14.99.
      Thank you for your support.

    1. Thank you for your comment, it is much appreciated. Also, you can support our charity by buying some of our books, which in turn support the various Air Ambulances in their counties. The books available are ‘A Day Above Leicestershire’, ‘A Day Above Gloucestershire’, ‘A Day Above Cambridgeshire’, ‘A Day Above Yorkshire’, ‘A Day Above The Lake District’, ‘A Day Above Northamptonshire’ and ‘A Day Above Rutland’. They are all available on Amazon and we receive 50% of sales. The books are aimed at ‘Grumpy Old Men’ – who are the most difficult people to buy presents for! The book will give them something to laugh about and enjoy on Christmas Day afternoon! The books cost £14.99.
      Thank you for your support.

    1. Thank you for your comment, it is much appreciated. Also, you can support our charity by buying some of our books, which in turn support the various Air Ambulances in their counties. The books available are ‘A Day Above Leicestershire’, ‘A Day Above Gloucestershire’, ‘A Day Above Cambridgeshire’, ‘A Day Above Yorkshire’, ‘A Day Above The Lake District’, ‘A Day Above Northamptonshire’ and ‘A Day Above Rutland’. They are all available on Amazon and we receive 50% of sales. The books are aimed at ‘Grumpy Old Men’ – who are the most difficult people to buy presents for! The book will give them something to laugh about and enjoy on Christmas Day afternoon! The books cost £14.99.
      Thank you for your support.

    1. Thank you for your comment, it is much appreciated. Also, you can support our charity by buying some of our books, which in turn support the various Air Ambulances in their counties. The books available are ‘A Day Above Leicestershire’, ‘A Day Above Gloucestershire’, ‘A Day Above Cambridgeshire’, ‘A Day Above Yorkshire’, ‘A Day Above The Lake District’, ‘A Day Above Northamptonshire’ and ‘A Day Above Rutland’. They are all available on Amazon and we receive 50% of sales. The books are aimed at ‘Grumpy Old Men’ – who are the most difficult people to buy presents for! The book will give them something to laugh about and enjoy on Christmas Day afternoon! The books cost £14.99.
      Thank you for your support.

    1. Thank you for your comment, it is much appreciated. Also, you can support our charity by buying some of our books, which in turn support the various Air Ambulances in their counties. The books available are ‘A Day Above Leicestershire’, ‘A Day Above Gloucestershire’, ‘A Day Above Cambridgeshire’, ‘A Day Above Yorkshire’, ‘A Day Above The Lake District’, ‘A Day Above Northamptonshire’ and ‘A Day Above Rutland’. They are all available on Amazon and we receive 50% of sales. The books are aimed at ‘Grumpy Old Men’ – who are the most difficult people to buy presents for! The book will give them something to laugh about and enjoy on Christmas Day afternoon! The books cost £14.99.
      Thank you for your support.

  1. Please forgive my bad English. I have been reading out many of your articles and i can state nice stuff. I will make sure to bookmark your blog. Hosea Teyler

    1. Thank you for your comment, it is much appreciated. Also, you can support our charity by buying some of our books, which in turn support the various Air Ambulances in their counties. The books available are ‘A Day Above Leicestershire’, ‘A Day Above Gloucestershire’, ‘A Day Above Cambridgeshire’, ‘A Day Above Yorkshire’, ‘A Day Above The Lake District’, ‘A Day Above Northamptonshire’ and ‘A Day Above Rutland’. They are all available on Amazon and we receive 50% of sales. The books are aimed at ‘Grumpy Old Men’ – who are the most difficult people to buy presents for! The book will give them something to laugh about and enjoy on Christmas Day afternoon! The books cost £14.99.
      Thank you for your support.

    1. Thank you for your comment, it is much appreciated. Also, you can support our charity by buying some of our books, which in turn support the various Air Ambulances in their counties. The books available are ‘A Day Above Leicestershire’, ‘A Day Above Gloucestershire’, ‘A Day Above Cambridgeshire’, ‘A Day Above Yorkshire’, ‘A Day Above The Lake District’, ‘A Day Above Northamptonshire’ and ‘A Day Above Rutland’. They are all available on Amazon and we receive 50% of sales. The books are aimed at ‘Grumpy Old Men’ – who are the most difficult people to buy presents for! The book will give them something to laugh about and enjoy on Christmas Day afternoon! The books cost £14.99.
      Thank you for your support.

    1. Thank you for your comment, it is much appreciated. Also, you can support our charity by buying some of our books, which in turn support the various Air Ambulances in their counties. The books available are ‘A Day Above Leicestershire’, ‘A Day Above Gloucestershire’, ‘A Day Above Cambridgeshire’, ‘A Day Above Yorkshire’, ‘A Day Above The Lake District’, ‘A Day Above Northamptonshire’ and ‘A Day Above Rutland’. They are all available on Amazon and we receive 50% of sales. The books are aimed at ‘Grumpy Old Men’ – who are the most difficult people to buy presents for! The book will give them something to laugh about and enjoy on Christmas Day afternoon! The books cost £14.99.
      Thank you for your support.

    1. Thank you for your comment, it is much appreciated. Also, you can support our charity by buying some of our books, which in turn support the various Air Ambulances in their counties. The books available are ‘A Day Above Leicestershire’, ‘A Day Above Gloucestershire’, ‘A Day Above Cambridgeshire’, ‘A Day Above Yorkshire’, ‘A Day Above The Lake District’, ‘A Day Above Northamptonshire’ and ‘A Day Above Rutland’. They are all available on Amazon and we receive 50% of sales. The books are aimed at ‘Grumpy Old Men’ – who are the most difficult people to buy presents for! The book will give them something to laugh about and enjoy on Christmas Day afternoon! The books cost £14.99.
      Thank you for your support.

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