Magpas Air Ambulance holds first open day at new base

Magpas Air Ambulance invited people to visit its new Alconbury Weald airbase on October 28.

The open day event gave more than 100 people the chance to see inside the charity's lifesaving service, which operates round the clock in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, and across the East of England.

Visitors were able to play themed games and quizzes, learn about the charity's history, and explore the base.

The Magpas Air Ambulance mascot was a big hit (Image: Submitted) There was also a chance to watch the air ambulance helicopter take off as the medical team responded to incidents in the area.

Supporters could experience patient and support stories through video, get a closer look at the state-of-the-art training equipment and rapid response vehicles, and even try out CPR at the charity's kiosk.

The charity's CPR kiosk is one of the first of its kind in the country and teaches the primary skills for CPR in just 30 seconds.

Magpas Air Ambulance's one of a kind CPR kiosk (Image: Submitted) Around a third of attendees signed up for an additional hour of free CPR and defibrillator training.

Ruth Beck, community fundraising manager at Magpas Air Ambulance, said: "We've worked hard to make the Magpas Air Ambulance base a community space for our supporters to find out more about our service in a fun and engaging way.

"It was an exciting milestone for us to be able to welcome so many local friends and families to the base in one day, and wonderful to hear that everyone had a really enjoyable time."

CPR training sessions ran throughout the day (Image: Submitted) The open day proved hugely popular, with all 120 spaces being booked within 24 hours.

As a result, the charity has opened a mailing list for supporters to sign up to be the first to hear about future open days.

More information can be found at magpas.org.uk.