Essex & Herts Air Ambulance's new charity shop in Letchworth has been officially opened by the charity's CEO and a former patient.
CEO Jane Gurney and Peter Morris, a former patient who has benefitted directly from the life-saving service of the air ambulance, cut the ribbon to mark the occasion.
They were joined by councillors, EHAAT trustees, and volunteers outside the ninth outlet for the charity.
In 2020, Peter had a cardiac arrest when he was at work in Harlow, and was fortunate to receive immediate CPR from bystander, Andy Jenkins.
Attending in one of their Rapid Response Vehicles, a member of EHAAT’s critical care team then treated Peter at the scene, before he was taken to Lister Hospital in Stevenage by ambulance.
Peter went on to make a full recovery and he and his wife Jackie put Andy forward for a nomination from The Royal Humane Society.
At the official opening Peter said: “If it wasn’t for Andy and EHAAT I wouldn’t be here celebrating the opening of the Letchworth charity shop today.
"The great work that the air ambulance does relies on the community for support. I hope that this new shop helps generate the funds that are needed to keep this truly life-saving charity flying, as you never know when you are going to need them.”
Jane Gurney added: “It’s been a great day, and we’re very grateful to the people of Letchworth for the warm welcome.
"It costs in excess of £750,000 every month to keep the service operational and cover all charitable costs, and this would not be possible without the generosity and goodwill of our local communities.
“We would appeal to residents to donate pre-loved clothing, shoes and handbags, as well as bric-a-brac and small items of furniture; anything is welcome as long as it is clean and in good condition.
"And with sustainability very much at the forefront of our retail operations, donors can rest assured that their items will be resold or recycled – nothing goes to waste, we even reuse all the bags that donations have been dropped off in!
“We are also in need of volunteers to join and help us, so we would love to hear from anyone who has some time to spare and enjoys meeting the public. To find out more, just pop into the shop and say ‘hello’.”
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