Rugby boutique charity store celebrates funding more than 600 lifesaving missions

Your local air ambulance boutique charity store in Rugby is celebrating funding more than 600 lifesaving missions for the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA) as the charity celebrates 20 years of vital service.

The flagship store opened its doors on 22 November 2010 and is situated in the heart of Warwickshire. Over the past thirteen years the charity store has generated £1,136,494, funding more than 600 lifesaving missions – ensuring the charity can continue saving lives across Warwickshire and further afield.

This flagship store on Rugby’s High Street has enabled the charity to add more than 50 stores to its portfolio, which have helped to generate vital income so within minutes, WNAA’s crew can be on the ground delivering lifesaving care at road traffic collisions, sports events, and industrial accidents or for medical emergencies such as cardiac arrest, stroke or accidents in the home.

This lifesaving service relies entirely on donations to raise the £1,700 needed for each rescue mission, as the charity receives no government or National Lottery funding, so support from its stores is vital.

The store has also received 42,821 bags of donated goods but continues to require support from the local community with further donations of new and preloved items, as these provide vital income for the charity.

Store Manager Elouise Merryweather said: “We would like to thank everyone in the local community for their support over the last thirteen years. Our store relies on the donations of pre-loved items such as clothing, toys and bric-a-brac, as well as our wonderful local community visiting and picking up a bargain – this keeps our crews flying 24/7, 365 days per year.”

This year has seen the charity celebrate 50,000 missions and twenty years of providing its lifesaving service across Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , and is encouraging people to visit its charity stores and grab a bargain, donate unwanted clothing to one of many clothing banks, get involved in a challenge event, fundraise, or even sign up to volunteer.

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