When Midlands Air Ambulance Charity put out a call for support transporting blood for emergencies, commercial heating and ventilation specialist Lord Combustion Services stepped in to help.
Lord Combustion Services has funded a new Toyota Yaris so the pre-hospital organisation can continue to receive blood and blood products for its lifesaving service.
Midlands Air Ambulance Charity has been carrying blood on-board its three aircraft and fleet of critical care cars since 2017.
The critical care paramedics and doctors are able to administer blood at the scene of an incident to give patients in critical need the very best chance of survival and a good recovery.
Previously volunteers conveyed the blood via a not-for-profit service that provides essential transportation to healthcare organisations.
With this transportation method no longer available, the team at Lord Combustion Services, led by Managing Director Stuart Smith, was keen to step in and support this vital component of the charity’s operations.
Supporting a vital mission
The team at Lord Combustion Services take pride in keeping facilities running smoothly, ensuring homes and businesses have reliable heating and ventilation systems.
Having opened for business in 1982, Lord now has a team of nearly 50 staff, delivering services for more than 1,000 sites across the Midlands, including 300 schools and hundreds of health sites.
The focus on efficient service runs parallel to the critical role played the Midlands Air Ambulance as both organisations understand the importance of immediate and efficient response.
Having delivered high quality services to help NHS, care homes and healthcare buildings operate during tough times, including the pandemic, Lord Combustion Services know the importance of keeping heating and hot water services running for vulnerable people.
For an air ambulance, a delay in transporting blood products can cause jeopardy in the most extreme health situations.
By supporting its local air ambulance, Lord Combustion Services is backing a cause directly aligned with their overarching business aim of ensuring vital services run smoothly when they matter most.
Investing in the wider community
Supporting the new Toyota Yaris builds upon Lord’s longstanding partnership with Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, as the business recognises the vital work which the charity provides for the region.
In 2022, Lord helped the pre-hospital emergency servicesave lives by collecting £10,500 at its 40th Anniversary Ball at Birmingham’s Grand Hotel.
Lord raised a contribution equivalent to the funds needed for three air ambulance missions and five missions in the pre-hospital emergency service’s three critical cars through ticket sales, generous donations on the night, a charity raffle, casino games and an auction.
In total, 120 staff, suppliers, clients and business partners attended the event to mark four decades of progress by the business.
Not only do Lord help the charity in their work, their ongoing support fosters a sense of local pride and strengthens the company’s connection to the region the team serves.
Team morale and engagement
The team at Lord Combustion Services is committed to supporting local causes such as Midlands Air Ambulance Charity.
Supporting a vital cause in a committed manner by funding the Toyota Yaris shows how the business contributes to saving lives, fostering a sense of purpose and pride within the workforce.
Stuart Smith, managing director for Lord Combustion Services, said: “Working across the West Midlands to deliver high quality heating and hot water services, our staff appreciate the size of the region covered by Midlands Air Ambulance Charity and wanted to support them to deliver blood for their lifesaving services.
“The Midlands Air Ambulance team and the voluntary transport team provide vital work so all our employees are pleased to help a good cause which will help so many people when they need it most.”
Building an enduring partnership
The donation of the new vehicle is the latest phase in the drive Lord Combustion Services to help Midlands Air Ambulance Charity through a long-term partnership.
The partners are in discussions about future support to build upon the blood transport service.
Pam Hodgetts, corporate partnerships manager for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, said: “Our clinicians deal with the most critically unwell patients and if they have suffered significant blood loss, the ability to give blood on scene is essential.
“The critical care paramedics and doctors could not offer this intervention without the support of the voluntary transport team, who are reliant on having a suitable vehicle to convey the blood and blood products.
“We are truly grateful for the volunteers who run the transport service and would like to give special thanks to Lord Combustion Services for this incredible level of support, which will ultimately help save lives and keep families together.”
By partnering with Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, Lord Combustion Services not only ensures the vital flow of blood products but also demonstrates the commitment to the well-being of the community it serves which the company will build upon in the future.
