WAAC Pays Tribute To Former Chairman As It Moves Into New HQ
The name of the founder and chairman of the Wales Air Ambulance Charity will live on among future generations of medics and fundraisers.
The lifesaving charity has named the boardroom and training centre at its newly-built headquarters in Dafen after Swansea businessman, the late Bob Palmer, who died in 2013.
Mr Palmer’s wife Ann, alongside daughters Suzanne and Nicola, unveiled a plaque in memory of Mr Palmer in a ceremony at the new building.
A prominent businessman, Mr Palmer worked tirelessly to found the Wales Air Ambulance Charity, which first launched in his home town on St David’s Day, March 1, 2001.
Under his stewardship, the air ambulance’s services extended across Wales with the introduction of mid-Wales and North Wales helicopters. The charity was named Britain’s Air Ambulance of the Year at the 2009 Health Business Awards, and has carried out more than 23,000 missions to date.
The new airbase development, which will be next to the headquarters, is being funded through a £500,000 appeal run by the air ambulance. Hacer Developments, which is delivering the project for Wales Air Ambulance Charity, has also accessed a property development grant for the construction of the office building through Carmarthenshire County Council.
Once completed, the new base will feature the latest technology and facilities for the charity’s aircrew. It will also be the first time that Wales Air Ambulance has owned its own premises, saving tens of thousands of pounds a year in rent and fuel supply costs.
Facilities include a bespoke training room, purpose-built storage space, and video conferencing with the charity’s Welshpool and Caernarfon airbases, aiding communication between the helicopter teams.
WAAC chief executive Angela Hughes said: “I know Bob would have loved to have seen our new airbase and the progress the charity has made over the last 15 years.
“Naming our boardroom and training centre after him is a fitting tribute to the man whose drive and enthusiasm shaped the lifesaving service the Wales Air Ambulance Charity provides today.
“It’s exciting to see the new airbase get close to its completion, but our fundraising appeal goes on. We still need to continue raising funds to maintain the lifesaving service we provide across Wales every single day.”
The charity’s fundraising staff are now working from the Dafen site. The charity’s South Wales helicopter is due to begin operations from the site in the spring. The site at Llanelli Gate has been specifically chosen for its optimum flight coverage across South Wales, ease of access to the M4 motorway and favourable weather patterns in the area, reducing the risk of fog.
The Wales Air Ambulance Charity is an all-Wales charity that provides air cover for those who face life-threatening illness or injuries. The charity relies entirely on donations to raise over £6 million every year to keep its three helicopters flying over Wales.
Spotted something? Got a story? Email News@News.Wales
