THE Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA) last week celebrated 25 years of its life-saving service to the community and admitted it faced ‘challenges’ to continue supporting the bold steps it had taken in the past decade.

Chief executive Charles Hackett, who took charge in 2022, said the costs of life-saving missions were now exceeding the charity’s income.

He said the air ambulance needed to expand its support base to increase income, which meant existing supporters had to tell others about the charity’s work and the difference their help would make.

Mr Hackett said: “Together, we can make sure that DSAA remains here, ready to respond, whenever and wherever we are needed.”

He said during its quarter-of-a-century of saving lives, DSAA had innovated and transformed into one of the most advanced pre-hospital critical care services in the UK.

But the care it provided was only made possible because of the donations and funding support it received, without which the charity would not exist.

The charity’s helicopter only operated five days a week in the early days with a small team of pilots and paramedics.

Its aircraft was a Bolkow 105 with limited space and the equipment, and skills of the team were similar to those which would be found with a road ambulance.

Fast forward to 2025 and more than 29,000 missions later, the shift in care for communities across Somerset has been described as ‘nothing short of remarkable’.

DSAA’s critical care team, comprising consultant-grade doctors and specialist practitioners, now ‘bring the hospital to the patient’ 19 hours a day, 365 days of the year.

The charity also provides an enhanced care service across both Somerset and Dorset with two outreach cars operating 12 hours a day, and a compassionate team of five patient and family liaison nurses.

Since 2017, DSAA has operated a state-of-the-art AgustaWestland 169 (AW169) helicopter, which was the first AW169 to enter air ambulance operational service in the UK.

Mr Hackett said: “I would like to say ‘thank you’ to everybody who supports us.

“Your donations have taken us from small beginnings to where we are today, providing pre-hospital critical care nobody imagined 25 years ago.”

Mr Hackett said whereas the air ambulance was tasked about 800 times in 2016, last year there were nearly 3,000 missions, each costing about £3,500.

He said: “This continuous, step-by-step growth in care in such a short period of time has been nothing short of incredible.

“However, the cost of our operations has also steadily risen and now exceeds the generous income we receive.

“We promise to continue engaging with our supporters to demonstrate the impact of their generosity and hope that they will remain with us for many years.

“Your support is vital.

“With your help, we can continue saving lives for another 25 years.”

Mr Hackett hoped people would celebrate the charity’s milestone by giving a one-off or a monthly donation via its website www.dsairambulance.org.uk/25 or by calling 01823 669604, or by leaving a legacy in their will.