The Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has been named as the Douch Family Funeral Directors’ charity for the forthcoming year.

The Dorset-based funeral group hopes to raise thousands of pounds from a series of fundraising activities during the next 12 months.

Nick Douch, managing director, said, “This will be the fifth year we have had a ‘charity of the year’.

“We are hoping to get a team together for the air ambulances’ Coast to Coast Cycle Challenge, which didn’t happen this year but hopefully will in 2021.

“The air ambulance is quite literally a life-saver and relies on donations to operate.

“Everyone knows that the next life it saves could be theirs or one of their loved ones, so there is always plenty of motivation.

Lara Battersby, Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance communications officer, said,  “It is with thanks to the incredible support and generosity of the public that we have been able to continue providing pre-hospital critical care for our patients, for 19 hours per day throughout the pandemic.

“With no direct funding from the Government or the National Lottery, we rely on the public to help us raise our operational costs of over £5 million a year; each life-saving mission costs approximately £3,000.

“We are extremely grateful to receive this support and wish everyone involved a fantastic year of fundraising.”