Challenge Badge
Welcome to the East Anglian Air Ambulance Challenge Badge, where you can learn lifesaving skills and be part of our awesome Challenge Badge community! Aimed at 10–14-year-olds, the Challenge Badge provides educational, engaging and fun activities for schools and youth groups across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.
Why take part in the Challenge Badge?
Every year approximately 12,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest in the East of England. Only about 40% of those receive any form of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before the arrival of the emergency services. Less than 20% have a defibrillator deployed before emergency services arrive.
Whatever our age, we all have our part to play in accident prevention and understanding how to help others in a medical emergency. The Challenge Badge is here to help you learn vital CPR skills, understand what a defibrillator is and how to use one so that, one day, you might become somebody else’s lifesaver.
The East Anglian Air Ambulance challenge has taught me so many new things about the charity. My favourite activities were designing a new flag for Bedfordshire and listening to the informative talk that was delivered by Dr Ruth Collins. The most exciting thing I am looking forward to is the fundraiser, as we hope to raise lots of money for you. Thank you for allowing us to take part in this amazing challenge.
Maryam, age 10
How do I take part?
There are plenty of fun, thought-provoking, and creative activities to get involved with. Our exciting Challenge Badge tasks will not only help you learn more about first aid and accident prevention but, as you work your way through your Challenge Badge pack, you will understand more about what we do and where, our helicopters, and why our supporters are at the heart of everything we do. Plus, you will get to have plenty of FUN with fundraising!
Kick start your challenge
It is absolutely FREE to take part. You will receive a dedicated pack to guide you through the tasks and activities and, on completion, you will receive a certificate and your Challenge Badge to proudly wear.
We are here to support you every step of the way, so, if you’re keen to get involved, have fun and build your skills and knowledge, sign up for the Challenge Badge below to get started!
Frequently asked questions
The East Anglian Air Ambulance Challenge Badge is a different and fun way to engage with schools and youth groups across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Primarily aimed at children aged 10 -14 years old, the Challenge Badge is designed to teach participants about different aspects of the charity. It will also raise awareness of our work and the importance of public support to enable us to continue to deliver and develop our lifesaving services 24/7 by air and by road.
Registration is completely free. Likewise, you will be supplied with your badges and certificates free of charge at the end of your challenge.
The challenge is split into five sections focusing on different aspect of the charity with a number of tasks in each: Helicopters Charity First Aid and Accident Prevention East Anglia Fundraising A minimum of three tasks must be completed from each section to successfully achieve your badges. One of these tasks are mandatory and will be arranged with you by a member of our team shortly after you register to take part. We have not set a minimum fundraising target as each participating group or school will be different, but to successfully complete the challenge you will need to do at least one fundraising activity. If your group raises £300 or more through your Challenge Badge fundraising, you will be entered for a draw to attend a special event as a thank you. This may be an annual celebration at our head office in Norwich, or a special activities day in your county. Details for these events are still being finalised so watch this space!
Once you have registered, we will send out a fundraising pack with lots of information to get you started, including challenge badge booklets for each participating young person. This will usually be dispatched within the two weeks prior to your chosen start date. A member of our community fundraising team will also get in touch with you to introduce themselves and discuss any support requirements you may have. They will be your main point of contact throughout your challenge and will be able to help you with fundraising ideas, supporting material and begin the process of booking your CPR training and charity presentation. We have a participation wall on our website where schools/groups/clubs or independent participants can share photos and stories of the activities they have been doing to complete their challenge which may provide further inspiration for our Challenge Badge community! You can also find lots of fundraising resources on our website to help you with your activities.
Although the Challenge Badge has been created for schools, groups and clubs, anyone who wants to participate as an individual is most welcome to join in. We are currently unable to provide CPR training to individuals/families taking part. As an alternative, we encourage you to research this and complete the other activities in this section.
There are several ways to send your funds into the charity: Cheque: Please make cheques payable to East Anglian Air Ambulance. Cheques can be posted to our head office in Norwich with a covering note confirming that you are sending funds in from your Challenge Badge activities and your name or that of your school/group/club. Our address is: East Anglian Air Ambulance, Hangar 14, Gambling Close, Norwich Airport, Norwich, Norfolk NR6 6EG. Telephone: You can pay your funds in by telephone using a debit/credit card by ringing our Supporter Engagement Team on 03450 669 999. Please let us know that the donation is from your Challenge Badge fundraising when you speak to us. Website: There is a donation option on our website. If you choose this method to send in your funds, please leave a comment to confirm your group name and that it is Challenge Badge fundraising. Bank Transfer: If you would like to send the funds via bank transfer, please contact your local community fundraiser (who will have been in contact with you shortly after registration) or our Supporter Engagement Team on 03450 669 999 for our bank details.
Shortly after you register, a member of our community fundraising team will be in touch by email to welcome you to the family and confirm your registration has been received. This email will include the information and booking forms you need to submit your CPR training. We need a minimum of one month’s notice for all bookings.
If your group has already attended one of our CPR training sessions or had a talk about the charity in the twelve months prior to your start date, both activities can be automatically signed off by the group leader.
Once each section has been successfully completed and signed off, the group leader can request the badges and certificates through our [LINK – Claim your badge] website. We will then arrange for them to be sent to the address provided at registration.
