Life and pension firm Phoenix Group has extended its corporate charity partnership with Midlands Air Ambulance Charity and the London’s Air Ambulance charity for a further three years, taking the collaboration through to March 2020.

During the first three years of the partnership, more than £580,000 was donated, primarily due to the fundraising efforts of staff based at the firm’s London and Wythall sites. During this time, the Group has supported the charities through crucial stages of development, with both the London’s Air Ambulance charity and Midlands Air Ambulance Charity launching second aircrafts during the period, and investing in market-leading research and training.

This partnership has brought a wealth of opportunities for all parties, not only through the invaluable life-saving funds generated, but also through the array of activities staff have been able to get involved in. These ranged from attending motivational sessions with the CEO of London’s Air Ambulance, to volunteering at the charities’ head offices and high-street stores, through to imparting skills-based knowledge benefiting the charities’ risk and governance processes.

Clive Bannister, Group Chief Executive, Phoenix Group commented: “This partnership remains unique, bringing together two similar but very separate charities, and collectively engaging the Phoenix workforce in fundraising and knowledge-sharing for a valuable service that so many have come to rely on in times of need. We look forward to making a further difference in our community over the next few years.”

Spokesperson from Midlands Air Ambulance Charity and London’s Air Ambulance, commented: “The Phoenix Group partnership has been fundamental to our ability to grow our fundraising income over the past three years, and we are staggered at the level of commitment shown by staff. We are truly proud to be named as their corporate charity partners for a further three years.”

-Ends-

Notes to editors

For more information please contact:

Shellie Wells
Head of Corporate Communications
Phoenix Group
020 3735 0922 / 07872 414 137
shellie.wells@thephoenixgroup.com

Lucy Symonds
Corporate Responsibility Manager
Phoenix Group
0203 567 9154 / 07725 735 922
lucy.symonds@thephoenixgroup.com

The Phoenix Group
The Phoenix Group is the UK’s largest specialist consolidator of closed life funds with over 6.1 million policyholders and £76 billion of assets held by the Group’s life companies, including the newly acquired Abbey Life, AXA Wealth and SunLife businesses. The Group employs around 1,300 people split across the Group, with around 600 based at Wythall, its main operating centre. www.thephoenixgroup.com

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity
Midlands Air Ambulance is the charity responsible for funding and operating three air ambulances serving the communities of six Midlands counties: Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands. This constitutes the largest air ambulance operating region in the UK. Since 1991, the charity has responded to more than 42,000 missions averaging 2,000 per year, making it one of the longest established and busiest air ambulance organisations in the UK. www.midlandsairambulance.com

London’s Air
Ambulance London’s Air Ambulance is the charity that delivers an advanced trauma team to critically injured people in London. It was founded in 1989 and to date has treated over 36,000 critically injured people and attended most major incidents. It serves the 10 million people who live, work and travel within the M25. It is a charity that operates in partnership with Barts Health NHS Trust who employ and remunerate the advanced trauma doctors who are seconded to the service, as well as providing some direct financial support and the helipad facility for the charity’s operation, and London’s Ambulance Service (LAS) who provide paid paramedics who are seconded to the service. A London’s Air Ambulance advanced trauma paramedic operates from the LAS control room and is responsible for dispatching help to the most critically injured people in London, 24 hours a day. Learn about the London Air Ambulancenand their services