Air ambulance store clocks up £1M sales again

Some of the staff and volunteers at The Hanger charity shop which has raised £1M for the air ambulance for the second year running

The Hanger superstore, which raises money for the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance (DLRAA), has been hugely successful since opening its doors in November 2021.

We reported last month that the Scalford Road store had funded a remarkable 1,000 lifesaving missions since it first opened.

And its tills have now clocked up that remarkable £1million sales mark – an amount which funds around 600 missions for crews.

Melton residents have been thanked for their generous donations of clothing, furniture, and bric-a-brac for sale in the shop.

Store Manager, Kerry Martin, said: “I am so happy and proud to be part of the team which has broken the record of £1million worth of sales, and to be the second store within the charity to have achieved this.”

“We are all incredibly proud to work for such a dedicated and vital service, and we would like to thank everyone involved for helping to keep our crews providing pre-hospital critical care to those who need it most.

“Reaching this milestone wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our dedicated local community and with Christmas fast approaching, we continue to require further donations of new and preloved items, as these provide vital income for the charity and keep our helicopters flying.”

Income from the store is vital in keeping DLRAA’s service operational.

Within minutes, critical care crews can be on the ground delivering pre-hospital emergency care and giving patients the very best chance of survival – this vital service relies entirely on donations to raise the £1,700 needed for each rescue mission, as the charity receives no government or National Lottery funding.

During 2023, the local air ambulance has clocked up its 50,000th mission, achieved an overall ‘outstanding’ CQC rating and marked its 15th anniversary of providing its lifesaving service across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Rutland.

The charity is continuing to encourage people to visit its charity stores and grab a bargain, donate unwanted clothing to one of many clothing banks, get involved in a challenge event, fundraise, or even sign up to volunteer.