Council man's efforts for county air ambulance

TAMWORTH man and county council chairman Terry Dix is flying high after presenting a cheque for £2,000 to the Staffordshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

Councillor Dix hopes to raise £10,000 for the life-saving charity before he leaves office in June.

So far, he has raised almost £7,000 for the appeal from a number of events. The latest fundraiser was a musical concert in the Council Chamber featuring bass baritone Clive Barks.

"The Air Ambulance benefits the whole of our community and I am confident that I can raise £10,000 for this vital service by the end of my term of office," said Cllr Dix, who recently paid his first visit to the Cosford Air Ambulance base to present a cheque to the duty flight crew.

Helen Hitchman, area fundraising manager for County Air Ambulance said: "The charity is extremely grateful to Cllr Dix and his colleagues at Staffordshire County Council for their magnificent efforts to raise vital funds for our charity."

Cllr Dix is already preparing for his next charity event – a Spring Charity Ball on April 17.

Staffordshire Air Ambulance is a part of the County Air Ambulance Charity which is celebrating its 18th birthday later this year.

The Charity operates across the Midlands and Welsh border region and receives no Government or lottery funding.

It needs to fundraise £5.6 million each year to ensure the life saving helicopter service continues to fly across the region.