Offshore workers take up fundraising cause for Aberdeen-based charity air ambulance

There are hopes that grassroots efforts to fund Aberdeen’s new air ambulance could soon spread across the North Sea. The Crisps For Helimed 79 campaign has its first collection point offshore on Repsol Sinopec’s Piper platform.

Fundraisers across the north-east and beyond have been collecting crisp bags for months and, now, workers more than 100 miles away are contributing as well. Organisers have been able to claim money for the cause through a returns scheme with Walkers. The campaign has enjoyed viral success on social media in aid of Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance.

The Piper collection started after members of the catering staff, working for Sodexo, saw coverage in The Press And Journal. Buckie woman Donna Stewart said: “It seemed a great thing to get behind because we were already recycling crisp bags and trying to return them to Walkers.

“But the collections have really taken off since we started supporting collecting for Helimed 79 and we’re really proud to be supporting such a great cause.”

Along with two of her fellow environmental reps, the 33-year-old has put up posters and collection points all over the platform. They plan to send back jam-packed bin bags of crisp packets to shore. And preparations are well underway for Helimed 79’s take-off in March. SCAA’s EC135 T2e helicopter is currently being refreshed and upgraded for its new role and work has begun to transform a hangar at Aberdeen airport into its operations base.

The charity has signed up Babcock to fly and maintain its second copter and has already begun hiring paramedics and pilots to carry out their life-saving missions. Ms Stewart’s colleague Dennis McDermott said, despite living in Glasgow, it is easy to see the support and need for the new air ambulance. The 55-year-old added: “It has already spread to the Fulmar and Clyde platforms and I have sent a letter to all other Repsol Sinopec sites asking them to collect too.

“Local people can see the benefit SCAA’s helicopter will bring.”

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