Golden goose for Christmas as charity ends 10th anniversary year on a high note!

And the year ended on a golden note too – thanks to the donation of an early Christmas present which helped the charity coin in the cash.

A foreign coin deposited in one of its collection cans turned out to be worth £1462!

The 2015 American Gold Buffalo 50-dollar coin languished among other foreign rejects from the charity’s coin counting machine for several weeks before being sent as part of an overseas collection to Xchange Master.

It was there that the true value of the anonymous donation was discovered.

Kate Loades, SCAA community fundraising manager, said: “We have hundreds of collection cans distributed throughout Scotland.

“These are all emptied and counted, with any foreign, out-of-date or mis-shapen coins gathered in a box. When we have enough foreign coinage, it is sent for conversion to Sterling for our funds.”

As a result, the life-saving charity staff have no way of knowing which collection can contained the valuable one ounce Gold Buffalo coin.

“It could have been donated anywhere in Scotland,” said Kate. “All we know is that we’re hugely grateful to whatever kind person parted with their US coin to support the work of SCAA.

“Their generosity helps us to respond to critical injury and illness wherever we’re needed in Scotland, so we thank them for making one of our collection cans a real Christmas cracker.”

Last year alone, SCAA raised nearly £26,000 through collection can giving.

“It’s a key strand of our fundraising support and continues to pull in much-needed funds,” added Kate.

“It’s the first time, however, that a single can has delivered such a large return – it really is the Golden Goose of SCAA’s Christmas!”

The coin was the icing on a great year for the charity, which toasted its tenth anniversary in May.

Since May 22, 2013, SCAA has responded to more than 5000 call outs, raised over £50 million and flown nearly half a million miles, saving thousands of lives and impacting on thousands more, particularly in remote and rural areas of Scotland.

The charity has grown in the last ten years from a one aircraft service at Perth to a two- helicopter fleet based at Perth and Aberdeen, with two Rapid Response Vehicles responding to nearby emergencies. It has more than doubled the crew numbers, extended its operational hours, developed its workforce and built an army of nearly 200 volunteers nationwide.

SCAA’s first mission was to airlift Tricia Mackenzie, seriously injured when her car swerved to avoid a deer and left the road near Dunoon on May 23, 2013. Their arrival turned a two-hour road trip to hospital into a 12-minute mercy flight.

Now, crews are responding to an average of three emergencies every day, sometimes as many as 12, with Tricia’s words from 10 years ago proving prophetic: “SCAA is an absolutely brilliant addition to Scotland’s life-saving resources and I have nothing but praise for the pilots and paramedics who crew it,” she said at the

time.

“This helicopter and it’s amazing team will save a lot of lives in Scotland and I’m so glad they were there for me during what was a terrifying experience.”

SCAA is fully integrated into the 999 emergency response network, deployed by the Scottish Ambulance Service special services desk to serious illness and injury anywhere in Scotland and its many islands.

A vital part of the country’s chain of critical interventions, SCAA receives no government funding and is supported entirely by public donations.

The charity’s CEO David Craig reflected on the efforts of all those who have played a part in its growth and success story over the past decade, making SCAA’s distinctive helicopters a regular sight in our skies and the charity one of the most respected and best known in Scotland.

He said: “From the visionaries who turned an idea into reality; the frontline crews who work tirelessly to fly paramedic and critical doctor-led teams to emergencies; our Board of Trustees who govern the charity and set its strategic direction; the charity team who promote and deliver many activities and drive SCAA forward; the volunteers who help maintain a public profile; right through to the businesses, trusts, foundations, organisations and individuals whose never-failing generosity has sustained our service even through the most challenging times – the country owes them all a huge debt of gratitude.

“We would like to thank everyone involved in ensuring those most seriously ill or injured have paramedic or doctor attention as quickly as possible and are airlifted to advanced hospital care in the fastest possible time.”

Scottish Charity’s Air Ambulance service is available 365 days of the year to help Scots in need.

To find out more or support its life-saving work by making a donation, visit www.scaa.org.uk.