Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance provides life-saving, pre-hospital critical care, to patients in need. They are a vital part of the community across Dorset and Somerset and they rely on your support.

I’m supporting DSAA as the service they provide is funded by charitable giving; by people like you. Last year, they were called out almost 3,000 times, with each mission costing approximately £3,500.

On 4th October 2026 I will be running the Weston-Super-Half Marathon in memory of my wonderful dad and to raise money for this amazing service. Please join me in helping to raise funds for this life-saving service. Together, with your support, they can be there for patients today, tomorrow and in the future.


My Story:

In 2022 my dad sadly passed away suddenly and unexpectedly from a catastrophic heart attack. From the beginning of his emergency to the very sad ending, all of the medical professionals and emergency call teams put in 100% and their level of expertise, calm, care and support not only for my dad in trying to save his life, but also in supporting my mum when other family could not be there was exceptional.

My parents live in a remote village in Dorset which is not close to a major hospital and though an ambulance was able to attend, more specialised medical equipment was needed to try to help my dad, and there was the possibility of needing to take him to a cardiac hospital quickly, so the air ambulance was called. I am deeply grateful to the air ambulance crew and medical professionals, they treated my dad with care and respect and tried absolutely everything that they could to save his life. They took care of my mum and ensured that she was able to get a family member to be with her quickly when they suspected that the outcome was not going to be positive. Sadly after around 45 minutes in attendance, the paramedics confirmed that there was no more that they could do and that my dad was gone ☹

Even though my dad didn’t make it, the effort and quick attendance by the air ambulance meant the world to me and my family and gave my dad the best possible chance to survive. I want to be able to contribute to this extremely valuable service being available to more people in their time of crisis. With a second helicopter, more emergencies can be attended and more lives can be saved! Please have a look at the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance appeal for a 2nd helicopter. Their current helicopter Peggy takes on more than 3,000 missions a year! Imagine what has to happen when Peggy is out of service for repairs, there is no backup! Dorset and Somerset are rural areas with many locations not serviced easily in the event of a medical emergency, many locations are not easily reached quickly by road and this in itself makes the air ambulance service invaluable. Once the helicopter has been commissioned, the charity will be inviting the public to choose a name for it so keep an eye out for that. Dawn Edleston