Proudfoot Customers Help Support Yorkshire Air Ambulance

The sale of 5p carrier bags in Scarborough retailer Proudfoot Group’s stores has raised £2,500 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, which will help towards the running costs of the charity’s two emergency response helicopters.

The funds were raised in the four Proudfoot supermarkets, based in Newby, Eastfield, Seamer and Manham Hill, over the last few months and will contribute towards the £12,000 per day needed to keep the Yorkshire Air Ambulances maintained and operational.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance is an independent charity providing a life-saving rapid response emergency service to 5 million people across the whole of Yorkshire. The charity currently attends over 1,500 incidents a year, an average of 5 incidents every day.

The YAA currently operates two helicopters – one based at Nostell Air Support Unit, near Wakefield and the other at RAF Topcliffe, near Thirsk. To keep both of Yorkshire's Air Ambulances maintained and in the air, the YAA needs to raise the equivalent of £4.4m a year.

Rob Scott, East Yorkshire Regional Fundraiser for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said: “We would like to thank Proudfoot Supermarkets and their customers for their support and generosity.

“This year, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance has lost approximately £420,000 in fundraising income due to the pandemic. It costs £12,000 a day to keep both of the Yorkshire air ambulances maintained and in the air and the £2,500 received from carrier bag sales will help greatly towards the vital funding of our service.”

The Proudfoot Group will support four local causes over the next year with proceeds raised through the 5p carrier bag charge in its stores. The group’s four stores have been raising money on a voluntary basis for good causes in this way since the introduction of the 5p carrier bag charge in 2015 and have donated £50,000 from the funds raised to charities and other community groups in the area.

In addition to the tens of thousands raised through the carrier bag charge to date, Proudfoot stores have supported local causes with more than £67,000 in donations raised through Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally charity.

To find out how you can donate to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, please visit www.yaa.org.uk.