Charity leases first helicopter despite inquiry

Phil Copeland said he believed the complaint was an attempt to undermine the organisation's reputation

Bosses at an air ambulance charity have said they have secured a lease on their first helicopter, despite an ongoing investigation by the Fundraising Regulator.

Securing the vehicle was a "huge moment" for Stoke Air Ambulance and its aim of providing a dedicated air ambulance service for the Stoke-on-Trent area, they said.

"Every coffee morning, every sponsored run, every pound dropped into a collection bucket has brought us to this moment," they said in a post on Facebook.

A spokesperson for the regulator said its investigation was ongoing but that they were unable to share any further details.

It was reported in December that the probe followed a complaint about the charity. At that time, the regulator hoped to report on the case early in 2025, but that timeline could not be guaranteed because of due process.

In submissions to the Charity Commission, Stoke Air Ambulance said it aimed to begin "operational readiness activities" in 2025, with the aim of launching its emergency helicopter services by 2026.

In the year to June 2024, the latest period for which accounts are published, it reported a £20,000 deficit on income of £331,000.

The charity announced last week its helicopter, an AW109E Power, would be named Jasper.

Another charity, Midlands Air Ambulance Charity (MAAC), already has a helicopter based at Tatenhill in Staffordshire, with an average response time of 10 minutes for the county.

Chief executive of MAAC, Hanna Sebright, said it cost £3,000 every time an air ambulance helicopter flies and her charity had annual running costs of about £16m.

The most complex factor for any new air ambulance service would be getting the highly-skilled critical care staff to provide lifesaving treatment, she added.

However, Stoke Air Ambulance boss Phil Copeland told the BBC his charity would not require millions to begin its service.

Dr Simon Constable, chief executive of University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) - which provides staff for MAAC helicopters - said there were already three helicopters based just a few minutes flying time from Stoke-on-Trent.

"Our region is one of the best served in the country for air ambulances," he said.

"Our teams are clear that there is no requirement for any further aircraft for our region."

The Midlands Air Ambulance is based at Tatenhill in Staffordshire

He encouraged people wishing to donate to support the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity.

West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) told the BBC it did not currently have any arrangements in place with Stoke Air Ambulance.

"As an NHS organisation, we are required to ensure any partner organisations have CQC registration and all other regulatory requirements in place before they undertake any patient facing activity," it said.

Mr Copeland previously told the BBC there had been attempts to undermine his charity's reputation and that they had suffered online harassment.

"Frankly these tactics are disappointing as this should be about saving lives, not control and money," he said at the time.

"We launched Stoke Air Ambulance to save lives by reducing response times.

"With our helicopter based locally, we can have a doctor on the scene in just six minutes - an improvement that could mean the difference between life and death."

In a statement to announce the charity had secured a helicopter, Mr Copeland said: "Now begins the next phase, building the infrastructure, recruiting and training the crew, securing and preparing our operational base so that we can get this helicopter into the air as soon as possible."

The charity is also due to open a retail base in The Potteries Centre in the coming days.