Great Western Air Ambulance Charity

What Great Western Air Ambulance Charity does

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity is a UK-registered charity (Charity No: 1121300, Company No: 6386523) that delivers pre-hospital critical care and air ambulance response across Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset, Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire and parts of Wiltshire — a catchment of around 2.1 million people. Operating under CEO Anna Perry with roughly 50 direct employees, ~11 specialist paramedics, ~20 consultant doctors and 200+ volunteers, the charity dispatches Helicopter Emergency Medical Service crews via a partnership with Babcock and clinical staffing through SWASFT, completing 2,272 missions in 2024 and a record 2,344 in 2025.

The operating model rests on a single core service — rapid-response critical care delivered by air and rapid-response vehicles at an average mission cost of ~£2,200 — supplemented by a community programme (Great Western Hearts) that has installed 133+ defibrillators and trained 9,684 people in 2024. Capability expansion is asset-heavy: a Mission Support Centre is under construction in 2026 (over £1.4m raised), a 5MW solar farm is planned in partnership with Bristol Energy Cooperative, and 2024 saw solar panels installed on operational estate as part of a 2030 carbon-neutral target.

Revenue is raised entirely from voluntary sources. In 2024, total income was £6,684,057 against total expenditure of £6,499,435. Income mix is well-diversified: a Tower Lotteries-style lottery at £2.1m (31%), legacies at £985k (15%), retail (9 charity shops, 64 textile recycling banks) at £904k (14%), community fundraising £661k (10%), grants £593k (9%), individual donations £368k (5%), corporate £127k (2%), challenge events £116k (2%), and textile recycling £42k. Recurring lottery and retail channels reduce single-donor dependency, while legacies and grants introduce some year-to-year volatility.

Name

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity

Legal name

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity

Website

https://greatwesternairambulance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity is a UK-registered charity delivering pre-hospital critical care and air ambulance response across Bristol, Bath, Gloucestershire and surrounding regions, serving 2.1 million residents with helicopter and rapid-response vehicle crews funded entirely through voluntary donations, lottery, retail and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Air Ambulance and Pre-Hospital Critical Care Services

NAICS

Ambulance Services (62191), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

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), EMS Education, Training & Simulation Centers (HLAFANAL)

Keywords

• Air ambulance services
• Pre-hospital critical care
• Emergency medical response
• Charity helicopter rescue
• Community defibrillator programme

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Lottery: Door-to-door lottery canvassing through contractor Tower Lotteries. The lottery is the biggest source of income, generating £2,103,948 in 2024 (31% of total income).
2. Retail Income: Income from charity shops selling donated goods and branded merchandise. Generated £904,898 in 2024 (14% of total income).
3. Legacies: Gifts left to the charity in supporters' Wills. Generated £985,094 in 2024 (15% of total income).
4. Community Fundraising: Income from community-organized fundraising events and activities. Generated £661,332 in 2024 (10% of total income).
5. Grants: Funding from trusts and foundations. Generated £593,338 in 2024 (9% of total income).
6. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals. Generated £368,184 in 2024 (5% of total income).
7. Corporate Fundraising: Income from corporate partnerships and fundraising. Generated £127,442 in 2024 (2% of total income).
8. Challenge Events: Income from participants in challenge events like runs and treks. Generated £116,693 in 2024 (2% of total income).
9. Textile Recycling Banks: Income from clothing and textile recycling banks through partnership with Recycling Solutions. Raised £42,069 in 2024 from 209 tonnes collected.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity delivers pre-hospital critical care and air ambulance response across Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset, Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire and parts of Wiltshire, using one helicopter (EC135 T2+ Helimed 65) and four critical care cars. The service operates 18 hours per day (07:00–01:00), bringing hospital-level skills including blood transfusions, emergency anaesthetics, and surgical interventions directly to patients at scene. The clinical service is funded entirely by charitable income from lottery, retail, donations, legacies, grants and fundraising.

Product overview

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity operates a single unified service centred on its Critical Care Air Ambulance — delivering pre-hospital emergency care via helicopter (Helimed 65, an EC135 T2+) and four critical care cars across Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset, Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire and parts of Wiltshire. The service brings hospital-level skills and equipment directly to patients at scene. This core clinical offering is supported by a diversified fundraising portfolio comprising a charity lottery (its largest income stream), a network of nine high street charity shops plus an online store, community fundraising events, corporate partnerships, legacies, and regular giving programmes. A key community-facing initiative is the Great Western Hearts programme, which installs public access defibrillators in priority locations guided by a Defibrillator Mapping Tool and delivers CPR/first aid training to thousands each year. The organisation is also progressing a Mission Support Centre at its Almondsbury airbase — a capital project intended to co-locate all teams and enable 24/7 operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Great Western Hearts: CPR and defibrillator training programme and public access defibrillator placement initiative.

Products and services

• Critical Care Air Ambulance Service Pre-hospital emergency care delivered via helicopter (EC135 T2+, Helimed 65) and four critical care cars, providing hospital-level treatment at scene including advanced drugs, surgical interventions, blood transfusions, ventilators, and emergency anaesthetics. Operates 18 hours daily, reaching any point in the region within 20 minutes. Available free to the 2.1 million people in the service area.
• Charity Lottery

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,272 patients treated in 2024 (record year), up from 1,979 in 2023
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bristol Heart InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Collaboration on pilot project for new cardiac arrest patient pathway. Patients in cardiac arrest with shockable rhythms where defibrillation hasn't been successful may need invasive cardiac intervention. Patients continue receiving care en route to hospital.
• Babcock Aviation ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBabcock Aviation Services leases the helicopter (EC135 T2+) to GWAAC and provides pilots. Pilots are employed by Babcock which also handles helicopter maintenance. GWAAC operates as Helimed 65.
• Bristol Energy CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to install 560 solar panels on GWAAC airbase roof generating over 200,000 kWh annually. Bristol Energy Cooperative funded most of the solar panels and manages the installation. Also working on creating a 5MW solar farm at the airbase.
• South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWASFT provides dispatch services from their 999 call centre in Exeter and employs the Specialist Paramedics in Critical Care. Around half of SPCC costs are funded by SWASFT. Joint pilot projects for clinical innovations including Pre-Hospital Emergency Anaesthesia.
• DysonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Dyson to monitor air quality inside helicopter, critical care cars, and around airbase in first trial of its kind with an air ambulance. A Dyson air quality monitoring backpack was used to measure six pollutants.
• SAFER (Norway)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReciprocal training programme with SAFER, a Norwegian company specializing in medical work and training simulation. GWAAC crew trained SAFER teams and hosted SAFER medics for observer shifts and SimBegin training.
• Dharura: Global Emergency CareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational medical charity in Kenya. GWAAC Medical Director Dr Andy Lockyer is Chair of Trustees. GWAAC crew deployed to Kenya to equip first responders with critical care skills and knowledge.
• Wogan CoffeeminorOthersLocal supplier partnership for GWAAC branded coffee products sold in shops and online.
• Clifton Chilli ClubminorOthersLocal supplier partnership for GWAAC branded Helipeno chilli sauce.
• Recycling SolutionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for clothing and textile recycling banks. 64 banks collected 209 tonnes of textiles raising £42,069 in 2024.
• Tower LotteriescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorContractor providing door-to-door lottery canvassers for GWAAC's lottery programme, the charity's biggest source of income.
• Air Ambulances UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization representing UK air ambulances. GWAAC participates in Air Ambulances UK Awards of Excellence and other national initiatives.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Magpas Air Ambulance: Charity-funded pre-hospital emergency medicine service covering the East of England and Midlands; comparable in delivering doctor-led critical care by air and ground, with similar funding mix.
• Devon Air Ambulance Trust: Neighbouring UK air ambulance charity operating a helicopter and critical care cars across Devon; directly comparable charity-funded HEMS model, lottery and retail fundraising, and similar mission economics.
• Thames Valley Air Ambulance: Charity-funded air ambulance covering Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire with helicopter and critical care cars; directly comparable clinical, fundraising and volunteer model to GWAAC.
• London's Air Ambulance Charity: Charity-funded HEMS serving London with a doctor-paramedic team; directly comparable clinical model and charity-funding structure, though operating in a denser urban environment.
• Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance: Charity-funded helicopter EMS service across Scotland; comparable in mission profile, volunteer and community fundraising model.
• East Anglian Air Ambulance: UK charity-funded HEMS operator serving Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire; highly comparable in scale (~2,000 missions/yr), income mix and clinical scope.
• Wales Air Ambulance: Charity-funded HEMS covering Wales; directly comparable helicopter, lottery and retail fundraising structure, and is one of the services that has adopted GWAAC's STAB-5 mnemonic.
• Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex: One of the larger UK charity air ambulances operating two helicopters and critical care cars; directly comparable in mission volume, fundraising model, and 24/7 transition plans.
• Yorkshire Air Ambulance: UK charity operating two helicopters across Yorkshire; comparable in charity-funded model, retail/lottery fundraising mix, and pre-hospital critical care delivery.

Others

• Air Ambulances UK: National membership body representing UK air ambulance charities; not a peer operator but a strategic ecosystem partner that hosts the Awards of Excellence (where GWAAC has won) and coordinates national fundraising standards.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/great-western-air-ambulance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Great Western Air Ambulance Charity