Craigs Vintage & Classic Club raises £8,320 for Air Ambulance NI

Fundraising events help fund one full day of life-saving air ambulance service

Craigs Vintage & Classic Club has raised £8,320 for Air Ambulance NI through a series of fundraising events held across 2025, generating enough money to fund one full day of the life-saving helicopter emergency medical service operating across Northern Ireland.

The funds were raised through a corn cutting day in August and a tractor run in November, with club members visiting the charity’s airbase in Lisburn on 31 January to formally present the cheque and see the helicopter they are helping to support.

The fundraising effort highlights the strong connection between rural communities and the air ambulance service, which provides urgent medical care to critically ill and injured patients across the province.

Community support behind successful fundraising year

Members of Craig’s Classic & Vintage Club with the cheque to be presented to Air Ambulance NI

Club founder Robert McCaughey paid tribute to everyone who contributed to the events and helped make the fundraising year a success.

He said:

“I would like to sincerely thank everyone who contributed throughout the year and to those who helped plan and organise the events.

“A special word of thanks goes out to Sam Coleman for the use of his premises to host the tractor run. We hope you will all continue to support Air Ambulance, thank you once again for your generosity.”

The events brought together club members, supporters and the wider farming community, underlining the importance of collective effort in supporting emergency medical services that serve rural and urban areas alike.

Air Ambulance NI’s vital role across Northern Ireland

Air Ambulance NI works in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service to provide Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) for Northern Ireland.

The service operates seven days a week for 12 hours per day, delivering urgent medical assistance to anywhere in the province and reaching any location in approximately 25 minutes. Since its inception in July 2017, the medical crew has been tasked over 5,000 times.

Charity highlights real-world impact on patients

Kerry Anderson from Air Ambulance NI said the funds raised by Craigs Vintage & Classic Club would have a direct impact on people in need of emergency care.

She said:

“The continued support from Craigs is fantastic; the events from 2025 will fully fund the service for one day, and it is likely that will help two critically ill or injured people in our community, anywhere in Northern Ireland.

“As a charity we need to raise £3m each year to sustain and develop the service, so support like this is so appreciated. We would like to acknowledge the continued support from Robert and Craigs each year; they value the importance of the air ambulance to the farming community, and it helps ensure we are there for everyone.”

Air Ambulance NI relies entirely on public donations to sustain and develop the service, with community-led fundraising playing a crucial role in keeping the helicopter airborne.

How to support Air Ambulance NI

Find out more about Air Ambulance NI by visiting www.airambulanceni.org.

Alternatively, the charity can be contacted directly by emailing info@airambulanceni.org or calling 028 9262 2677.