Leicestershire charity store celebrates over a decade of trading

Your local air ambulance charity boutique store based in Blaby is celebrating over a decade of trading for the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance (DLRAA), as the charity celebrates 15 years of vital service.

The charity store opened its doors on 13 July 2012 and is situated close to Bouskell Park. Over the past eleven years the store has generated an incredible £1,379,390 worth of sales for the charity – funding more than 800 lifesaving missions throughout Leicestershire and further afield.

The store has also received an amazing 70,802 bags of generously donated goods, which have provided vital income for the charity, but they continue to require the support of the local community for further donations of new and preloved items.

Funding from the charity’s store provides an invaluable source of income for this vital service, relying entirely on donations to raise the £1,700 needed for each rescue mission – as the charity receives no government or National Lottery funding. It keeps the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance crews on the frontline, delivering pre-hospital critical care to those who need it most.

Store Manager Wendy Harbidge said: “We would like to thank everyone in the local community for their support over the past eleven years and without this we wouldn’t be able to continue to provide pre-hospital emergency care to those who need it the most.”

“We still rely on the local community’s support with donations of pre-loved items such as bric-a-brac, clothing and toys to keep our vital missions possible and keep our crews delivering advanced critical care 24/7, 365 days per year,” she added.

The charity is celebrating its 15^th anniversary of providing its lifesaving service across Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland in 2023, and is encouraging people to show their support by attending DLRAA’s Open Day on 30 July 2023 at Leicester Racecourse, Leicestershire.

For more information, please visit: www.theairambulanceservice.org.uk or call 0300 3045 999.