Veezu extends commitment with Midlands Air Ambulance Charity partnership
Updated: Apr 16
Veezu has reaffirmed its commitment to the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity by renewing their collaboration, thereby continuing to provide essential transportation support to the charity's emergency service personnel.
Previously known under local names Go Carz and A2B Radio Cars, Veezu has established a dedicated account that offers complimentary taxi services for air ambulance crews. This arrangement is seen as crucial for staff who need transportation from hospitals after land ambulance deployments or when air operations are curtailed by nightfall or poor visibility conditions.
The Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, which serves six counties including Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, and the West Midlands, is a critical provider of pre-hospital care. The charity's fleet, consisting of three air ambulances and several critical care cars, is instrumental in responding to severe medical emergencies such as cardiac arrests and strokes.
Funding these life-saving operations is a monumental task, requiring between £13 and £14 million annually. The charity heavily relies on the generosity of local communities and businesses to support its missions.
Recently, the charity celebrated the opening of a new facility in Shifnal which will enhance its operational capabilities. This base will support additional staff, host events, and facilitate educational visits. Veezu's partnership will also ease access to the new base by integrating QR code displays for taxi bookings.
The collaborative effort between Veezu and the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity was initially bolstered by a financial donation last year, which led to the creation of the free taxi service account.
Pam Hodgetts, Corporate Partnerships Manager at Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, said: "Veezu has been supporting Midlands Air Ambulance Charity for a number of years, providing valuable financial and pro bono support.
“On occasion, our aircraft need to return to base due to night-time flying restrictions, leaving our crew stranded at major trauma centres across the Midlands. Veezu provides a free taxi service to ensure the crew can return to base once their patient handover is complete. As you can imagine, this not only provides our crew with peace of mind but also saves the charity a lot of money. We are extremely grateful for their ongoing support.”
Graham Hoof, Regional Operations Director of Veezu in the Midlands, said: “We’re always happy to offer cash donations to charities but in this case, we thought we could offer something that was of tangible benefit to the charity.
“The Midlands Air Ambulance Charity account has proved useful to its crew over the last year, so it was a no brainer to renew the partnership. We’re so happy we’ve been able to help its team of highly skilled clinicians in instances where they have travelled to hospital via land ambulance or are unable to travel by via aircraft due to poor visibility. After a long shift, especially one where you’ve helped save lives, the last thing you need is to worry about how you’re getting home.“
