Frequently Asked Questions

On each shift will be one critical care paramedic (CCP), one doctor and two pilots. When we are dispatched in our Critical Care Cars, it’s just our clinicians who attend, with the CCP driving the car.

East Anglian Air Ambulance operates two H145 helicopters: G-RESU, code name Anglia One, located at Norwich Airport and G-HEMC, code name Anglia Two, located at Cambridge Airport (Marshall). The H145 is capable of carrying two flight crew, up to three clinicians and a patient. The H145 has a range of 300 miles, an average cruising speed of 140mph and can cover 20 miles in less than 10 minutes. This allows us to get to anywhere in the 5,326 square miles we cover quickly. The aircraft is 14ft high and 38ft 3in and carries enough fuel to travel for up to two hours.

EAAA operates two critical care cars from its two bases. The vehicles have night shift call signs NMED87 (Norwich) and CMED89 (Cambridge), and day shift call signs NMED85 (Norwich) and CMED88 (Cambridge). The cars offer more resilience, allowing EAAA crews to provide effective 24/7 cover by car and, with exception of a stretcher, are equipped with the same high standard of medical monitoring and assessment equipment as the two helicopters. Cars are sometimes the best option to reach patients in the quickest time, especially if the medical emergency is in a location where the helicopters cannot easily land, or in the event of inclement weather. With a 24/7 service, having two RRVs at each base makes the shift changeover easier for our crews and give us a lot more resilience when one vehicle is being serviced or repaired.

Our critical care paramedics (CCPs), together with colleagues from Magpas and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance, undertake regular 12-hour shifts on East of England Ambulance Service Trust’s (EEAST’s) Critical Care Desk in Chelmsford, where all the 999 calls come in for East Anglia. From here, they can dispatch an air ambulance team immediately, or can ask more questions of the 999-call handler to clarify how unwell a patient is or can respond to a request from an ambulance crew who is treating a patient whose condition may be deteriorating.

No, we do not receive any government funding. We have in the past received one-off grants for specific projects from the government and our critical care paramedics are seconded from East of England Ambulance service, but we rely almost entirely on public donations and support.

EAAA is now being called to (on average) eight critical care emergencies 24/7, 365 days a year from its Norwich and Cambridge bases. The average cost of a mission is £4,250 and, as EAAA and receives no regular government funding, we rely almost entirely on public support. We have seen incredible support from people in the community who continue to go above and beyond to fundraise, volunteer their time, take part in events and be an ambassador for EAAA. You continue to inspire us with your kindness and generosity. Thank you.

Our primary areas of operation are Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire; however, we have also covered missions further afield in areas including Essex, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and the capital. We have two operational bases: one at Norwich Airport with our Headquarters, Helimed House, and the other at Cambridge (Marshalls) Airport. We also have an additional fundraising office in Melbourn, Cambridgeshire.

We are tasked an average of eight times a day from our bases in Norwich and Cambridge. Visit our latest missions page to learn more about where EAAA helicopters and RRVs have been tasked. To protect the privacy of our patients, locations on the map are not accurate and represent the general area the mission took place. Not all missions are published for confidentiality reasons.

Including East Anglian Air Ambulance, there are 21 separate air ambulance charities working to save lives and improve patient outcomes across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

You can make a one-off donation or set up a regular gift to us via our website here. If you would like to send in a cheque, please post it to: East Anglian Air Ambulance, Helimed House Hangar 14 Norwich Airport Gambling Close Norwich NR6 6EG If you would like to pay into our bank account, please contact us via email at info@eaaa.org.uk or by phone on 03450 669 999 so that we can provide details and your reference details so that we can recognise your transaction. EAAA is a charity which receives no regular government funding, relying almost entirely on public fundraising and donations – so your generous support really does make a life-saving difference in your community. A heartfelt thank you from us all.

Please make cheques payable to East Anglian Air Ambulance, or EAAA. If you’re paying for your lottery plays, please make this payable to Friends of East Anglian Air Ambulance.

You can update your preferences at any time on our website. You can also email info@eaaa.org.uk, with your name and address, and we’ll update your preferences.

We try and ensure that paying in your fundraising is as easy as possible. If you have been fundraising for us via a third-party website, like Just Giving or Facebook Fundraising, then you don’t need to do anything for that to reach us.

On our website: You can pay in your fundraising on our website donate page. Please remember to include all your details and information about your fundraiser so we can record it correctly and say thank you.

By Post: You can post your donation to us, either use the form that was sent to you in your fundraising pack or download a new one by getting in contact with us. All money raised should be sent to East Anglian Air Ambulance, Helimed House, Hangar 14, Gambling Close, Norwich Airport, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 6EG. If you have a sponsorship form, please remember to include that too so we can collect Gift Aid on eligible donations. By Phone: You can donate the money you have raised from your fundraising event over the phone by calling 03450 669 999.

We have a number of canvassers who operate on our behalf. Over 95% of EAAA lottery sign-ups come from kind people in the communities who take the time to speak with EAAA door-to-door canvassers and canvassers in public venues, such as supermarkets and garden centres. EAAA canvassers will all be carrying identification, but if you would like to make sure someone operating in your area is there legitimately, you can either check our canvassers page or call us on 03450 669 999.

To make a new declaration, or to update an existing declaration, please email info@eaaa.org.uk with your full name, full address and the date you are making the declaration from.

You can also request and return a copy of our Gift Aid Declaration form in the post, or complete it online.

We cannot facilitate collections of furniture and clothing, but we do have a number of EAAA clothing banks where you can take your unwanted clothes and shoes for recycling and re-purposing. Find your closest clothing bank on our recycled goods page.

As a charity, we’re committed to following the Fundraising Code of Practice, the rules of the Charity Commission and adhering to our own Supporter Promise. We are accountable to our kind supporters whose generous support gives every patient treated by EAAA the best possible chance of surviving and recovering a life-threatening emergency. You can learn more about the Charity Commission and The Fundraising Regulator on their websites.