This week – 4-10 September – is Air Ambulance Week and Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is taking part in activities to promote its life-saving work.

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has worked together with the National Trust to light up two monuments in the South West on Thursday 7 September – Corfe Castle and Wellington monument, on the edge of the Blackdown Hills on the Somerset-Devon border.

Members of the public are being asked to support the cause with a £10 donation, enabling the air ambulance to be there for patients for the foreseeable future.

After dusk on the Thursday evening, the Corfe Castle will shine bright in the colours of the life-saving charity; yellow and green. Wellington Monument will also be lit up from dusk, and will remain that way throughout the night in recognition of the work that Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance provides for the local community.

Senior volunteer for the National Trust (Wellington Monument), John Greenshields, said: “We are only too pleased to support Air Ambulance Week for Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance and their crew. We are of course very grateful for all the past and present work they do for the local community.”

Visitor operations and experience manager at Corfe Castle, Adam Evans, said: “Our local communities rely heavily on the emergency response of Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. We are delighted to show our support to their vital service.”

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance communications manager, Tracy Bartram, said: “For over 20 years, Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has been there for critically ill and injured people when they need us the most. The enhanced skills of our team, specialist equipment and drugs that we carry, along with the speed of our response, can make the difference between life and death. The service that we provide for the local community is 95% funded by charitable giving, by people like many of you.

“With every mission costing approximately £3,500 and the number of patients we are trying to reach increasing year on year, we need public support now, more than ever. This incredible awareness generating activity by Corfe Castle and Wellington Monument, supported by the National Trust is a truly wonderful gesture and will certainly increase awareness of our life-saving work.”

You can donate £10 to Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance in support of Air Ambulance Week, via the following means:

Website: www.dsairambulance.org.uk/aaw

Mobile: Text DSAA10 to 70085 (texts will cost £10 plus one standard network rate message) Calling: 01823 669604

Other ways of supporting the charity can be found by visiting: www.dsairambulance.org.uk/aaw