A record number of team members and supporters at Magpas Air Ambulance have been shortlisted for awards at this year’s Air Ambulance Awards of Excellence. 

The national awards are held once a year by Air Ambulances UK (AAUK), the national body that represents the UK’s 21 air ambulance charities, and the awards are a chance to celebrate the vast achievements that have taken place within the sector over the past year. 

This year the charity that saves lives in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and across the East of England 24/7, has been shortlisted for seven awards—over half the total categories. 

Among the nominations is Natalie Church, Magpas Air Ambulance’s director of operations who has been shortlisted for charity staff member of the year, for bringing the new Magpas Air Ambulance base build to fruition—the latest project in her 22 years of dedication to the charity. 

Magpas Air Ambulance doctors Ali and Adriana, and critical care paramedic Steve, have respectively been shortlisted for their dedication, commitment, innovation and outstanding patient care in three awards categories. 

As well as these achievements, the charity also has two supporters who have been shortlisted for awards too: 11-year-old Abigail Sperrin, for young person of the year following her fundraising efforts in aid of the lifesaving service, and Alison McCreery for charity supporter of the year. 

Alison has been an invaluable volunteer for Magpas Air Ambulance and, alongside the service’s CPR trainer, has taught hundreds of children and adults lifesaving CPR skills over the past 12 months. 

Alison is also the daughter of Dr Derek Cracknell MBE—one of the charity’s founding GPs who set up the service in 1971—and her work with Magpas Air Ambulance is certainly continuing her father’s legacy. 

The final award nomination is for the special incident award and comes after Magpas Air Ambulance treated three patients earlier this year when a Bedfordshire woman went into labour with her twin boys at just 29 weeks. 

Fortunately, thanks to the care of the charity’s advanced doctor and critical care paramedic team and crews from the East of England Ambulance Service, mum and babies are all doing extremely well and looking forward to celebrating their first Christmas together as a family. 

These awards serve as recognition for the vital service and all it, and the people that make Magpas Air Ambulance, have achieved in such a short space of time—ultimately helping to save more lives in Cambridgeshire and beyond, 24/7.

The awards ceremony takes place in Reading on Thursday, November 30.