The Duke of Cambridge received a new patronage on Thursday, becoming the patron of London’s Air Ambulance Charity following last year’s 30th anniversary campaign.
William, who helped fundraise and supported the charity last year during its anniversary year, helped secure £1.4 million towards developing training and wellbeing facilities for the London Air Ambulance crews through the King’s Cup Sailing Regatta and the charity’s 30th anniversary dinner.
Kensington Palace shared the news on its Twitter account Thursday afternoon, tweeting that William “will continue to champion those working on the frontline, and highlight the charity’s vital work in supporting the London’s Air Ambulance’s rapid response to incidents, and its provision of life-saving medical treatment.”
“We are honoured that The Duke of Cambridge has chosen to become Patron of London’s Air Ambulance charity after getting to know us last year,” said its CEO, Jonathan Jenkins, in a press release on the charity’s official website.
“The Duke truly understands our work and knows that every second counts in an emergency. We know that with his help as well as the continued support of the public, our crews can reach those who need them most – serving the people of London 24 hours a day, every day of the year.”
Announcing the news on their website, London’s Air Ambulance wrote, “The Duke has made the decision after supporting the charity’s yearlong 30th anniversary campaign in 2019, during which he flew with the crew and met staff and patients from the service. Through this experience and his own work as an air ambulance pilot, the Duke has seen first-hand the impact of rapid response treatment for the most critically ill patients.”
William said last year at the charity’s 30th anniversary dinner, “Having served as an air ambulance pilot myself, I am in no doubt about the crucial life-line that air ambulances provide all over the UK. London has some of the most difficult airspace in the world in which to offer an air ambulance service.
“I landed on the London Air Ambulance helipad on multiple occasions during my job. I can tell you that it is an essential part of the medical chain in London, and speeds up the process of patients getting to care.”
He said of London’s Air Ambulance pilots, “I know first-hand that the trauma teams working with London’s Air Ambulance are world class…They work calmly, quickly and with razor-sharp focus to help people from all walks of life who have suffered the most horrific injuries.
“Their care can mean the difference between life and death – between recovery and lifelong disability. They take the skills that they learn here in London back to other air ambulances, their home countries, and back to the military. And they show remarkable resilience and strength in the face of the tragic circumstances that they come across multiple times a day.”
“We are grateful to The Duke of Cambridge for backing us on our mission to save more lives in London,” said Medical Director Dr Tom Hurst.
