IT’S been an exciting month for the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) as we’ve introduced a new helicopter to our fleet and our team started work at their new base in the North East.

The Guardian of the North II is a Dauphin N3+ helicopter, which is a newer version of the charity’s existing aircraft.

The £5m helicopter will work across the charity’s entire area which includes Cumbria and North Yorkshire as well as the North East.

It is equipped with all the latest kit, has much more powerful engines and a new interior layout which will give our doctors and paramedics better access to patients.

This aircraft is only five years old and has had very little flying, so we were delighted to get her for the price.

The Guardian of the North II will be based at our headquarters Progress House, near Eaglescliffe, Stockton.

The helicopter is only a 15-minute flight from the Cumbria border so although the Pride of Cumbria is based in the county, the public will still benefit from having two helicopters being able to reach them quickly. In fact, the new addition responded to two incidents in the county on its first weekend.

Last year, the charity’s administrative and fundraising staff moved from offices in Darlington and Newton Aycliffe to our new HQ and our critical care team in the North East recently joined them after relocating from Teesside International Airport.

Not only will we save money from combining three sites into one, helping us keep this aircraft flying throughout the region, it will also bring both our front line and fundraising services together.

Don’t worry though, our base in Langwathby will remain where it is and continue to operate in the West.

A few years ago we upgraded the team’s accommodation to provide more space and modern facilities to allow them to develop their skills, welcome visitors and catch up on project work between missions.

Work is also underway to upgrade the helicopter based at Cumbria in the future.

Due to my role as director of operations I don’t get to fly as much as I used to as a paramedic for GNAAS, so I was really proud to fly the first mission out of Progress House in our new aircraft.

None of this would have been possible if it wasn’t for the support from the general public.

Our fundraising activity this year has been impacted by coronavirus, and we’re losing an estimated 100k a month in income. It’s been a hard time for us all, but we’d like to ask the public to continue their support where possible, so we can carry on helping the most critically injured and ill patients in our region.