Phoenix Group, a leading retirement and savings business, has donated £200,000 to charity Air Ambulance services as part of a UK-wide package of community support in response to COVID 19. Phoenix has also extended its charity partnership with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, London’s Air Ambulance Charity, Midlands Air Ambulance Charity and Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance until the end of this year. This reflects the importance of their services in the face of COVID 19.

Charity Air Ambulance services have remained on the front-line throughout the current pandemic, providing on-scene critical care to the most seriously ill and injured patients in England and Scotland.

Phoenix’s donations are assisting with operational funding of the charity’s life-saving services, which have responded to thousands of call-outs so far this year. Each Air Ambulance charity receives no Government funding and is solely reliant upon the generosity of individuals, organisations and their own fundraising efforts to help save lives.

Andy Briggs, Group CEO, Phoenix Group comments:

“It is vital we recognise the life-saving efforts of all our Air Ambulance charity partners and the ongoing demands for their service. They need more funds to survive and help others. As our charity partners, it is our duty to donate as part of our wider commitment to support communities across the UK.

“At this time of economic and social uncertainty all charities are vulnerable and we urge financially able businesses to join us in providing Air Ambulance charities with a vital lifeline.”

David Craig, Chief Executive of Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA), said the "tremendous" donation came at a crucial time:

"Like other charities, SCAA continues to experience a significant downturn in our fundraising income as community activities and key events are cancelled.

"This extremely generous donation from the Phoenix Group will help save lives as our crews continue to operate across the whole of Scotland, wherever required.

"We want to thank the Phoenix Group for its outstanding support - both through this vital donation and our ongoing rewarding partnership in Scotland," said Mr Craig. "It is only through support such as this that SCAA will fly on through this unprecedented global crisis and help save and improve lives nationwide."

Earlier in the year Phoenix Group, announced it would be donating a total of £1 million to support the important work of charities, giving £500,000 of this to charitable organisations working in the communities where the Phoenix Group has regional premises. Aside from the four local Air Ambulance charity partners, in recognition of the pandemics wide impact, Phoenix has donated to charities across England and Scotland who offer a variety of services, from providing mental health care to homeless shelters and food banks. These charities include Trussell Trust, St Mungos, SIFA Fireside, The Camrose Centre, Social Bite, Cyrenians and ALONE in Ireland.

Phoenix also donated £500,000 to Age UK’s Emergency Coronavirus Appeal, which will help older people who desperately need support during this unprecedented health emergency.

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Enquiries

Leonie Garfield
Lansons
07530 626 212
leonieg@lansons.com

Rachel Esland
Phoenix Group
07892 705093
rachel.esland@thephoenixgroup.com