The Big Bases Appeal Story
Coventry Airport has now closed. Now we urgently need your help.
For more than 20 years, The Air Ambulance Service has been there when the unthinkable happens — bringing specialist critical care to people when they need it most.
Now, we need your help to build the permanent bases our lifesaving services need for the future.
Our immediate priority is the new South Base at Catthorpe, which we aim to have mission-ready by Autumn 2027. It will be the first of two new purpose-built bases supported through the Big Bases Appeal.
THE STORY
Why this appeal matters
From serious road traffic collisions to critically ill children and babies requiring urgent transfers, every mission is a race against the clock.
Our teams work at speed, under pressure, and with one clear purpose: to give every patient the very best chance of survival.
Today, we deliver two lifesaving services as one organisation.
Your Local Air Ambulance responds to emergencies across Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland.
The National Children’s Air Ambulance transfers critically ill babies and children to specialist care across the UK.
But being ready doesn’t start when we’re called.
It starts at base.
The Big Bases Appeal exists to protect and strengthen that mission, helping us create two new purpose-built bases so our teams can be ready for every call, now and in the future.
Why new airbases are critical to saving lives
We hope you’ll never need us. But if you do, we must be ready, immediately.
Ready with the right team. Ready with the right equipment. Ready to respond without delay.
Coventry Airport has now closed. Although our teams are continuing to operate from the site temporarily, we urgently need to establish a permanent new home for our southern operations.
Our new South Base will be built at Catthorpe, close to the M1/M6 interchange. It will provide a permanent home for Your Local Air Ambulance operations supporting Warwickshire and Northamptonshire, alongside National Children’s Air Ambulance crews and the Air Desk.
Our existing facilities were not purpose-built for the demands of modern critical care. The new base will provide dedicated spaces for training, clinical preparation, crew welfare, patient aftercare and operations.
And Catthorpe is only the first step. The Big Bases Appeal will support the development of two new purpose-built bases, securing our lifesaving services for the future.
Big Bases Appeal Stats
For Ellie. For David. For people you love.
Ellie was born six weeks premature. Within hours, doctors discovered she had a rare condition that was stopping her from swallowing.
She urgently needed specialist surgery 114 miles away. The National Children’s Air Ambulance flew Ellie there in just 42 minutes, helping her reach the care she needed.
David was driving to work when a head-on collision left him fighting for his life. Your Local Air Ambulance reached him in just seven minutes and delivered critical care at the roadside.
These are two very different missions, supported by two vital lifelines.
The Big Bases Appeal will help create the permanent bases our teams need to continue being there for the next Ellie, the next David and the next person you love.
A vision for the future: two bases, one lifesaving network
Our vision is to create two new purpose-built bases. One in the south and one in the north — helping secure the future of our lifesaving services.
South Base — Catthorpe
Our immediate priority is the new South Base at Catthorpe.
It will provide a permanent operational home for Your Local Air Ambulance teams supporting Warwickshire and Northamptonshire, while bringing National Children’s Air Ambulance crews and the Air Desk together at the same base.
The National Children’s Air Ambulance will continue to operate as a national service, helping critically ill babies and children reach specialist care across the UK.
The new South Base will include:
- Dedicated operational and clinical preparation spaces
- Specialist training facilities
- Crew welfare areas for rest and recovery
- Dedicated aftercare facilities for patients and families
- Facilities supporting National Children’s Air Ambulance operations and coordination
North Base
A second purpose-built base will follow in the north, supporting Your Local Air Ambulance operations across Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland.
Together, the two bases will provide strategically located operational homes supporting YLAA across all five counties, while providing the infrastructure needed to support NCAA’s national service.
Our £9 Million Goal
This is the largest capital investment in our 20-year history. To deliver the new South and North bases, we are seeking £9 million in public and philanthropic support, alongside funding from our reserves.
Every donation brings us closer to building the new bases our teams need — supporting local emergency response and critical care transfers for babies and children across the UK.
We’ll share progress openly, so you can see the difference your support is making at every stage.
Be Part of the Foundation
Who will your brick be for?
A virtual brick is a simple way to play your part in building a mission-ready base — supporting both lifesaving emergency response and critical care transfers for children across the UK.
For someone you love.
For the crews who save lives.
For the next patient who needs us.
Your brick helps lay the foundations of a base that will save lives for years to come.
Why Your Support Matters
We receive no government or NHS funding for our vital services.
That means donations from people like you will help fund the facilities our teams need — from the bricks, bolts and roofing beams to specialist clinical, training, welfare and aftercare spaces.
Every gift brings us closer to creating the permanent bases our lifesaving services need.
Please give whatever you can today.
FAQs
The new bases will support both Your Local Air Ambulance and the National Children’s Air Ambulance, strengthening resilience and ensuring specialist care is available whenever it is needed.
No. The appeal has been carefully planned so that day-to-day lifesaving services are protected while we invest in long-term infrastructure.
The new bases will support faster aircraft turnaround, improved training, safer working environments and greater operational resilience — all helping crews deliver critical care as quickly and effectively as possible. Your Local Air Ambulance (Warwickshire & Northamptonshire) operations are currently based at Coventry Airport, a site facing closure. At the same time, the National Children’s Air Ambulance operates from London Oxford Airport, where ongoing operational restrictions and long-term uncertainty limit future planning.