The North West Air Ambulance Charity (NWAA) has launched an emergency appeal to keep its lifesaving service funded.
The North West Air Ambulance (NWAA) service is said to attend around 2,500 missions to provide help to eight million people each year, with its world-class care becoming increasingly more specialised over the last two decades it has been flying.
But despite still providing this advanced pre-hospital care to patients in need right across the region and continuing to support the NHS on the frontline throughout the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it has lost an estimated £71,000 in revenue each month since the first national lockdown.
This loss is said to equal 20% of the charity’s income in the past year alone.
The ongoing pandemic has had a severe impact on the organisation, with store closures, cancelled fundraisers and postponed events all contributing to a dramatic dip in funds.
The service – which flies three helicopters in the region, and is entirely dependent on public and corporate donations – now says it needs more than £9.5 million a year to continue, which is why it has launched an urgent appeal for funding.
We’ve launched an #emergencyappeal to raise funds to keep us flying to save lives across the North West.
— North West Air Ambulance Charity ? (@NWAirAmbulance) February 2, 2021
The appeal for funding is to ensure the life-saving fleet never needs to be grounded in the future.
Sarah Naismith – Director of Income and Engagement at NWAA Charity – has urged anyone in a position to donate to do consider doing so.
She has insisted that any donations received would allow the charity to continue its crucial work.
Speaking on the importance of the appeal, Sarah said: “COVID-19 has disrupted everyone’s lives, it’s threatened to grind down our friends in the NHS, and it’s placed financial and operational strain on our charity.
“The crew have continued their lifesaving work every day, supporting the NHS and working side by side with the ambulance service, however, the disruption to our fundraising revenues is significant and we don’t take sharing this news lightly”.
“I know we saved that child that day.”
With no government or NHS funding, it’s your donations that ensure we can continue flying to save lives. Make a difference today, donate now ? https://t.co/5HgoZyz90A
— North West Air Ambulance Charity ? (@NWAirAmbulance) February 25, 2021
She continued: “Without funding, we may not be able to continue to make a critical difference to patients.
“For 21 years, we have always been blown away by the generosity of our supporters, and we wouldn’t be here without them, so with our work at greater risk than ever before, any donations will allow us to continue to reach and treat patients in need, and give them the best chance of survival.
“Help us help people across the North West.”
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If you would like to make “a life-saving donation” to The North West Air Ambulance (NWAA), then you can simply text HELPNWAA5 to 70085 to donate £5, or you can visit the NWAA website.
More information on the services provided and the support needed can also be found here.
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A sneak peek at the first pour: Greater Manchester celebrates the return of Boddingtons
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester has every reason to drink and jubilate this Friday and toast the perfect excuse for an early dart as the first fresh pours in a new chapter for Boddingtons beer have been sunk.
And by’eck if ain’t still bloody gorgeous.
That’s right, in case you didn’t hear the latest news about ‘Cream of Manchester’, we can now officially and ever-so gladly confirm that Boddingtons Bitter is properly back on draught in the region.
With the iconic cask ale making a glorious return decades on from its glory days in the 1990s, the new and improved Boddies beer is flowing from the taps – just in time for the weekend, no less.
Yes, with local brewery and pub chain J.W. Lees taking over the manufacturing and distribution, leaving the Budweiser Group to take over the licensing, the updated recipe Boddingtons – which clocks in at a 4.0% ABV – is about to be rolled out across the 10 boroughs.
Better yet, with five native pubs having already reinstalled honey yellow and black pumps, and with Lees looking to deliver it to the ale-loving masses across the North West, this could be the biggest Manc comeback since, well, those two lads from Burnage…
Speaking of: we were invited along to Founder’s Hall on Albert Square (formerly Duttons and now home to every one of the brand’s beers, not to mention serving as a tribute to John Lees himself), for a special ceremony to celebrate the inaugural public pints of Boddies being poured.
Let’s just say we were honoured to be part of the grand resurrection.
Obviously, there have been some holdouts hanging onto the classic Mancunian brew, and we certainly had fun trying to track them down over the past couple of years, but we’re just glad we don’t have to do as much work to find one now.
Managing Director of JW Lees, William Lees-Jones, said on the relaunch: “When I joined JW Lees in 1994, Boddingtons was ‘The Cream of Manchester’ and we were in awe of their position in leading the cask beer revolution.
“We’re proud to bring it back home, starting with Founder’s Hall, and we’re planning to restore Boddington’s as one of the UK’s leading premium cask beers, particularly here in the North West.” Well said, sir.
Available from Founder’s Hall, The Black Friar in Salford, Stables Tavern; Sams Chop House, The Circus Tavern, Oxford Road Tap, Piccadilly Tap and Victoria Tap from today, as well as Corbières and Stockport pubs like The Crown and The White Lion, we can’t wait to see Boddingtons take over the nation.
In the meantime, why not look back at the storied history behind one of our finest exports?
Subway launches make-your-own jacket potato concept ‘Spudway’ across UK
Emily Sergeant
Subway is finally launching its viral make-your-own jacket potato concept ‘Spudway’ at all its restaurants in the UK.
That’s right – you can now walk into any Greater Manchester Subway and order a jacket potato instead of a sandwich, and you get to choose exactly what goes on top of it.
Britain has always been a nation of ‘jacket fanatics’, with almost half of Brits claiming the spud to be a British cultural icon, but according to new research by Subway, it’s been found that nearly a quarter (23%) of us have argued with family and friends over how to prepare or serve one.
So it’s fair to say that, yes, us Brits do love ourselves a jacket potato, and this is why ‘Spudway’ is launching nationwide.
The UK-wide rollout of Spudway comes after it was trailed in select sites earlier this year, and then proved so popular that the trail was extended to include more locations.
Now, those fluffy jacket potatoes are available everywhere.
You can choose topping options like the simple Cheese & Beans or Tuna Mayo, or you can opt for Subway specialities like Meatball Marinara, and Chicken Tikka, but the beauty of Spudaway is it’s all fully customisable.
This means you can pick, quite simply, from whatever you fancy at the protein and salad counters, and finish it with your choice of Subway’s wide selection of signature sauces.
“The nation’s love of Jacket Potatoes is unparalleled,” commented Cathy Goodwin, who is the Interim Director of Culinary & Innovation Subway EMEA.
Subway has finally launched its make-your-own jacket potato concept ‘Spudway’ all across the UK / Credit: Subway
“The enthusiasm we’ve seen on social media and the strong demand from our guests throughout the trial made it clear that Spudway deserved a permanent place on our menu.
“Made with British potatoes, Irish salted butter, a double portion of cheese, and fully customisable with any of our many toppings, Spudway is the perfect freshly-made, high-quality lunch choice.”
Spudway jacket potatoes are freshly baked in-store daily and can be enjoyed on their own, or as part of a meal deal – which includes a spud, drink, plus crisps or a cookie.
Emily Sergeant -
2nd March 2021 
