Kilwaughter Minerals has confirmed it will continue its support of Air Ambulance NI with a new £20,000 donation to the life-saving charity.

The move follows a £20,000 donation the County Antrim firm made in 2022, which helped ensure Air Ambulance NI could continue to deliver its service across Northern Ireland.

Commenting on the continuation of the partnership, Caroline Rowley, Business Development Director at Kilwaughter Minerals, said: “At Kilwaughter Minerals, we are passionate about giving back to the community through our comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility programme which commits in the region of £200,000 annually to initiatives such as Air Ambulance NI.

“Air Ambulance NI responds to thousands of calls each year and is a lifeline in towns such as Larne and other rural areas where easy access to hospitals is limited.

“We are proud to have been able to donate to such a worthwhile cause and we hope that our donation will allow Air Ambulance NI to continue to provide fundamental care and assistance to people when and where they need it most.”

Since its launch in 2017, Air Ambulance NI has attended over 4,000 incidents, such as road traffic collisions and cardiac emergencies. The ambulance goes out at least twice per day.

The donation from Kilwaughter Minerals will contribute to almost three days-worth of service, enabling the medical team to assist and treat people at six accidents or medical emergencies in Northern Ireland.

Kerry Anderson, Head of Fundraising at Air Ambulance NI, said: “On behalf of Air Ambulance NI, I would like to thank the team at Kilwaughter Minerals for their continued support of our charity.

“Air Ambulance NI operates seven days a week for 12 hours per day and can get anywhere in Northern Ireland within 25 minutes, but this is only possible thanks to the unwavering support from people and businesses, like Kilwaughter Minerals, which allow us to keep flying.”

Emphasising the importance of corporate support, Colleen Milligan, Business Development Manager at Air Ambulance NI, commented: “It takes £2.5 million each year to sustain our service therefore we are very grateful for Kilwaughter Minerals’ generous donation.

“Alongside funds we hope to raise through various fundraising events throughout 2024, including abseils, skydives, and the Belfast Marathon, this cash injection from Kilwaughter will greatly contribute to our ongoing success of ensuring people across the country get the medical aid they need.”