Yorkshire Air Ambulance staff personal tribute to supporters

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) is celebrating its second annual ‘Ta Very Much’ day, where staff briefly stepped away from their daily duties to come together to make personal phone calls and write notelets to their supporters.

Organisers said this year, the second such event, 700 handwritten postcards will be landing on doorsteps across Yorkshire, expressing gratitude to randomly selected donors across Yorkshire for their contributions.

Former Calendar weather forecaster and now YAA patron Jon Mitchell joined the team in their notes and calls expressing thanks to supporters (Image: Supplied) Included in this year’s team which included lifesaving crew of paramedics, doctors, pilots, TCM’s and various head office and fundraisers, was YAA patron and former ITV Calendar weather forecaster Jon Mitchell.

A YAA spokesperson said: “His participation added a special touch to the day as he sat down with the team to personally write notes to supporters, signing his cards with his famous raincloud signature.

“Also taking part was Peter Sunderland, YAA’s former chairman and now patron, who retired in 2023 after 20 years of service.

“He spent the day calling supporters, engaging in meaningful conversations and learning more about the personal stories behind their generous support for the charity."

YAA helicopters are based between its two airbases - RAF Topcliffe near Thirsk and Nostell Air Support Unit near Wakefield in West Yorkshire (Image: Supplied)

Katie Collinson, partnerships manager at Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said, “This event has become a meaningful tradition for us, allowing us to pause and personally thank those who make our life-saving work possible.

“Whether it’s through a handwritten postcard or a phone call, it’s important that our supporters know how much their generosity means to us and the difference they make in keeping our helicopters flying and our crew responding to emergencies across Yorkshire.”

The spokesperson said the charity acknowledges that while it can’t thank every supporter individually, ‘Ta Very Much’ day has become a special moment to make that personal connection with as many donors as possible.

The thanks came from all corners of the charity (Image: Supplied) The spokesperson added: “For those who didn’t receive a call or postcard, the message remains the same— YAA’s gratitude extends to every person who supports their mission, your generosity is truly appreciated.” 

Specialist critical care paramedic, Tammy Williams said: “Every mission we fly is funded by the generosity of our supporters.

“Their contributions directly impact our ability to reach critically ill patients, whether it’s responding to a cardiac arrest, a severe trauma, or a road traffic collision.

“‘Ta Very Much’ day gives us the chance to express our gratitude, as without their support, we simply wouldn’t be able to carry out our life-saving work across Yorkshire.”