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Air Ambulance NI is celebrating a hugely successful fundraising partnership with Hub Packaging which has a base in Rathfriland. The company has raised an incredible £21,186 in support of the charity's life-saving mission.
The impressive total will help fund nearly three full days of the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service, a vital contribution to a service that costs £8,200 per day in fundraising to keep the helicopter, medical crew and aviation team fully operational.
Throughout 2025, the team at Hub Packaging showed outstanding commitment and enthusiasm, taking part in a wide range of creative and challenging fundraising activities. These included a March Steps Challenge, two Wear Red Days, a Bag Packaging Day, Black Friday sales donations, an office weight loss challenge, an office raffle, and a quiz celebrating Guernsey, the home of CEO Andrew Ward. One of the standout moments of the year saw team members bravely take on the Croke Park Abseil.
As part of the partnership, colleagues from Hub Packaging also visited the Air Ambulance NI base where they met members of the medical and aviation teams and gained first-hand insight into how their fundraising directly supports emergency critical care across Northern Ireland.
Andrew Ward, CEO of Hub Packaging, said Air Ambulance NI provides unparalleled support for rural communities across Northern Ireland when it is most needed. "It has been a pleasure to work closely with the Air Ambulance NI team during 2025 as our chosen charity. The harsh reality is it costs over £8,000 per day to keep the helicopter, crew and medical staff fully operational and we hope the donation from the team at Hub Packaging has helped in a small way," he said.
Bebhionn Hardy, Community Fundraising Coordinator at Air Ambulance NI, said they are incredibly grateful to everyone at Hub Packaging for their dedication, creativity and generosity throughout the year. "Raising £21,186 is a phenomenal achievement and will help fund nearly three days of the HEMS, enabling the medical team to deliver advanced pre-hospital care to patients when every minute matters. Support from corporate partners like Hub Packaging truly helps save lives," she added.
The charity Air Ambulance NI, in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, provides the HEMS for Northern Ireland. The service brings urgent medical assistance to anywhere in the province, operating seven days a week for 12 hours per day. The HEMS team attend patients who are seriously ill or injured, bringing emergency pre-hospital care direct to the casualty with the aim of saving lives, brains and limbs. The aircraft can reach anywhere in the province within 25 minutes.
On average the medical team are called upon twice every day, whether that to a serious road traffic collision, farm or workplace accident, sport and leisure incident or a serious medical emergency. Any patients or families who have been touched by the work of the Air Ambulance are welcome to visit the airbase and should get in touch with Air Ambulance NI by calling 028 9262 2677.
As a local charity, Air Ambulance NI aspires to raise £3 million each year to maintain and sustain this service so public donations are crucial. One of the simplest ways to support is by becoming a member of Club AANI and donating via a monthly or annual subscription. Find out more by visiting www.airambulanceni.org, alternatively you can contact the charity directly by emailing info@airambulanceni.org or calling 028 9262 2677.
