The Kingsbridge Lodge of Freemasons has donated £500 to Devon Air Ambulance Trust following a presentation by long-time supporter and fundraiser Rex Brown.

The donation was made after Mr Brown gave an engaging talk to members of the lodge about the life-saving work of the charity. The cheque presentation took place outside the Devon Air Ambulance shop in Bridge Street, Kingsbridge.

Devon Air Ambulance was born out of tragedy in 1986 after Ann Thomas lost her son Ceri in a road traffic collision. Seeking answers, she was told the quicker patients receive treatment, the greater their chance of survival. That thought inspired her to launch the Ceri Thomas Appeal to raise funds for an air ambulance in Devon.

Thanks to those efforts, the service took its first flight on Thursday, August 27, 1992, in a leased aircraft. Just before then, a blessing was held on Exeter’s Cathedral Green by the Bishop of Exeter. Initially flying five days a week, the service expanded to daily missions by 1997 and now includes night flights, supported by more than 200 approved landing sites across Devon.

In 1996, HRH Princess Anne opened a new airbase shared by the Devon and Cornwall Police. DAAT has since become a pioneer in emergency medical services, creating the UK’s first dedicated Helicopter Emergency Medical Services dispatch team based at the South Western Ambulance Service 999 call centre.

In 2024 alone, DAAT responded to 2,457 emergency calls across Devon and beyond. The charity operates without government funding, relying solely on donations to cover running costs, which average £4,110 per helicopter mission and £2,054 for missions by critical care cars or rapid response vehicles.

With an annual running cost of £9.4 million, the trust operates two air ambulances and two critical care cars. Duncombe Lodge is proud to support such a vital service that continues to save lives across the county.

Anyone interested in joining the Freemasons can contact [email protected] for more information. The lodge remains committed to supporting good causes in the local community.