Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance

What Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance does

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is a UK registered charity (number 1078685) and company limited by guarantee (number 3893356) that provides emergency pre-hospital critical care across the Dorset and Somerset counties in southwest England. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Wellington, Somerset, the charity employs 41 people and operates from a Henstridge airbase, deploying consultant-grade doctors and specialist practitioners with ICU-equivalent equipment by helicopter and by two blue-light outreach cars stationed in each county. In the most recent reported year the service attended 2,738 missions at an average cost of £3,500 per mission and a daily operating cost of £30,100, with service to patients provided free at the point of need.

The charity's product surface extends beyond emergency dispatch to include patient and family liaison support, CPR and defibrillator awareness training, a defibrillator package programme, injury-prevention education, and a quarterly Beeline Magazine. Service demand is triggered through emergency-service dispatch coordination, while donor engagement runs through the charity's own website, face-to-face fundraising teams, social media channels across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn, the Beeline magazine, and community events.

Revenue is generated entirely without direct government funding and is diversified across individual donations, regular giving subscriptions, the weekly Flight for Life Lottery, fundraising events, corporate partnerships, legacy giving, and a textile-recycling partnership. The income-generation function is staffed by dedicated Heads of Philanthropy and Partnerships, Lottery and Regular Giving, and Legacy Giving, with a Community Fundraising Manager and Grants and Trusts Manager, indicating a structured fundraising organisation. The charity also reports a planned redevelopment of its Henstridge operational base to accommodate service expansion, integrate renewable energy, and improve crew and patient facilities.

Name

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance

Legal name

Dorset And Somerset Air Ambulance Charity

Website

https://dsairambulance.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is a registered UK charity providing free emergency pre-hospital critical care across Dorset and Somerset via helicopter and outreach cars, funded entirely by donations, lottery, fundraising, and corporate partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Air Ambulance Services

NAICS

Ambulance Services (621910), Ambulance Services (62191), Other Nonscheduled Air Transportation (481219)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Health Services (8000), Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

Air Medical Transport (Helicopter/Fixed-Wing) (HLAFANAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) & Ambulance Services (BPAIAGAC), Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Operations & Dispatch (HLAJAGAC)

Keywords

• Air ambulance services
• Pre-hospital critical care
• Emergency medical response
• Helicopter emergency services
• Charity fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations: Voluntary donations from the public to support the charity's life-saving operations. The charity states it does not receive any direct government funding.
2. Lottery (Flight for Life Lottery): Weekly lottery programme allowing supporters to participate and win prizes while contributing to the charity.
3. Regular Giving: Recurring donation programme where supporters set up regular payments to support the charity.
4. Fundraising Events: Community events, challenges, and fundraising activities organised by supporters and the charity to raise funds.
5. Corporate Partnerships: Partnership arrangements with businesses for financial support and employee engagement.
6. Legacy Giving: Gifts left to the charity in supporters' wills.
7. Textile and Recycling: Partnership with textile recycling company providing collection banks across Dorset and Somerset.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance provides emergency pre-hospital critical care by deploying a consultant-grade doctor and specialist practitioner with full intensive care unit-equivalent equipment to seriously ill or injured patients across Dorset and Somerset. The service is delivered by helicopter and two blue-light outreach cars, with the charity operating entirely on donations and receiving no direct government funding.

Product overview

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is a charitable organization providing emergency pre-hospital critical care services. The core offering is an air ambulance service deploying by helicopter and two outreach road vehicles, bringing a consultant-grade doctor and specialist practitioner with intensive care unit-level equipment directly to patients across Dorset and Somerset. Supporting services include patient and family liaison support, CPR and defibrillator awareness training, community injury prevention education, and a lottery fundraising programme. The charity also publishes a quarterly magazine (Beeline) and maintains an accessible website with alternative styles and screen reader support. Funding comes from donations, lottery, corporate partnerships, events, and textile recycling initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Air Ambulance Service Emergency critical care service deploying by helicopter and two outreach cars, bringing a consultant-grade doctor and specialist practitioner with intensive care unit-level equipment directly to seriously ill or injured patients across Dorset and Somerset.
• Patient and Family Liaison Support service enabling the charity to provide assistance to patients and their families across the region following emergency treatment.
• CPR and Defibrillator Awareness Sessions Life support training sessions teaching effective CPR and use of Automated External Defibrillators to members of the public and community groups.
• Defibrillator Package Provision of defibrillator equipment and associated services for community and organisational use across the region.
• Outreach Programme Enhanced care service using two outreach cars (one in Dorset, one in Somerset) providing daily engagement with emergency service colleagues and rapid blue-light response capability across a smaller geographic area.
• Injury Prevention Educational programmes and initiatives aimed at preventing injuries within the community across Dorset and Somerset.
• Flight for Life Lottery Weekly lottery programme allowing supporters to participate in fundraising while potentially winning prizes in support of the charity.
• Beeline Magazine Quarterly charity magazine providing news, patient stories, and updates to supporters and the wider community.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,738 missions attended by air and road in the last year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Air Ambulances UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation with Air Ambulances UK umbrella organisation representing air ambulance charities across the UK, providing network support and advocacy.
• Simply HealthsupportingOthersProvides Employee Assistance Programme with access to qualified counsellors 24/7 and advice for everyday worries including financial and legal issues or emotional support.
• EbCamsupportingOthersProvides additional Financial Guidance Service and financial planning support for employees.
• Bike2Work SchememinorOthersFacilitates the cycle to work scheme through www.bike2workscheme.co.uk for employee benefits.
• Blue Light CardminorOthersEmployees eligible for Blue Light Card giving access to NHS discounts at hundreds of retailers.
• Textile Recycling PartnersupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides textile recycling banks across Dorset and Somerset enabling public to recycle textiles while supporting the charity.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Air Ambulances UK: National umbrella charity representing the UK's air ambulance network of which DSAA is a member; not a competitor but a coordinating/advocacy body relevant for benchmarking and sector trends.

Direct peers

• Magpas Air Ambulance: Cambridgeshire-based charity air ambulance delivering doctor-led pre-hospital critical care; comparable clinical model and charity funding structure, serving a different but analogous regional population.
• Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance: One of the larger UK charity air ambulances providing doctor-led critical care across three counties; similar charity-funded helicopter EMS model at greater regional scale.
• Devon Air Ambulance Trust: Neighbouring regional air ambulance charity serving Devon; closest direct comparator given overlapping Southwest England geography, similar charity-funded model, and comparable helicopter-led EMS operation.
• London's Air Ambulance: Doctor-led helicopter EMS charity serving London and surrounding area; comparable clinical capability and charity-funding mix, but operates at significantly greater urban scale.
• Great Western Air Ambulance Charity: Charity-run helicopter EMS covering Bristol, Bath and surrounding areas; directly comparable mission profile, clinical model (critical care doctors), and donation-based funding.
• East Anglian Air Ambulance: Charity-funded helicopter EMS covering Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk; comparable doctor-led critical care model and donation-driven funding structure serving rural populations.
• Wiltshire Air Ambulance: Adjacent regional air ambulance charity serving Wiltshire; very comparable non-profit helicopter EMS model with similar fundraising structure and patient catchment adjacent to DSAA's territory.

Regional players

• Wales Air Ambulance: Nation-wide Welsh air ambulance charity delivering critical care across Wales; closely comparable clinical and charity-funding model, but operates in a different UK nation with separate government and regulatory environment.
• Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance: Scottish charity-funded helicopter EMS delivering pre-hospital critical care; comparable charity model and clinical mission profile but operates in a different UK nation with separate funding and regulatory environment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dsairambulance
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxaXe2zudOKnadC3d20s_KA/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/DSAIRAMBULANCE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dorset-and-somerset-air-ambulance
• Instagraminstagram.com/dsairambulance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance