Giving Back: Glen Callum Associates Supports Midlands Air Ambulance in 2025

At Glen Callum Associates (GCA), we believe in giving back to the community and so each year, we choose a charity to support for the next 12 months. For 2025, we are proud to announce our support for Midlands Air Ambulance, a truly worthy cause that holds a special place in our hearts.

This charity’s incredible work has personally touched the lives of our team, coming to the aid of both Kayleigh’s and Karen’s families during critical times. Their emotional and inspiring stories are featured below and highlight just how vital the Midlands Air Ambulance is to the local community.

Our support began in December 2024 with our initial donation, given in place of sending Christmas cards to our clients and candidates. We feel this gesture is far more meaningful, ensuring the funds are used where they are truly needed, rather than on cards that may go unnoticed and ultimately discarded.

Acknowledgment of our donation in December 2024.

We are confident that this donation is appreciated, well received, and will contribute to the lifesaving efforts of Midlands Air Ambulance throughout the year.

Real-Life Encounters with Midlands Air Ambulance
The impact of Midlands Air Ambulance became personal to us when it came to the aid of both Kayleigh’s and Karen’s families during life-changing moments. These stories underline the importance of this incredible charity and the difference it makes to countless lives………….

Kayleigh’s story

In September 2023, my son Fin had not long started a new season of football. He had played since the age of 6, football is his passion and so very quickly became mine and my husbands – although I do recall this particular Sunday was a grey, damp one, so we probably weren’t too excited about standing on the sideline!

Fin had started the game on the bench, about 20 minutes in he was subbed on and quickly got stuck in, they were a fairly evenly matched team and so as right back Fin had lots to do! He had been playing for around 10-15 minutes when I heard a sound that I will never forget coming from his direction and then he dropped to the floor. Having watched him play for years, I immediately knew that he was in trouble and not just an over dramatic fall to the floor, I ran onto the pitch along with Fin’s dad and his manager. When we got to Fin it was clear that he had badly injured his knee, we suspected a dislocation.

I dialled 999 and began to explain to the operator what had happened. After some discussions, it was decided that due to the location of the pitch and the inability to get a vehicle down there that we would not move him and wait for the ambulance to arrive.

The first crew arrived and assessed Fin, administered what pain relief they could and quickly made a decision that they needed back-up in the form of a senior colleague in a rapid response vehicle. When the rapid response vehicle arrived, again they assessed Fin and discussed with their colleagues what they could do, they too decided they needed further back up and a colleague that could administer stronger medication and would call the Midlands Air Ambulance for further support.

Although he was slipping in and out of consciousness at this stage, Fin was adamant he did not want to go in a helicopter! They quickly reassured him that due to the location, the air ambulance team would arrive by car.

Allister arrived and quickly made a decision that he wanted to administer Fin with Ketamine and put his patellar back in place on the field before he was transferred to hospital. He explained everything to me and my husband and the gave Fin the devastating news he was going to cut his brand-new football boots off. Again, at this news, Fin was wide awake and protesting the best he could!

As Fin was lifted across the pitch and along a pedestrian only area by stretcher, his teammates cheered and escorted him all the way to the ambulance. Team spirit in its purest form as they had waited over 2 hours in the cold to make sure he was ok.

Allister travelled to the hospital with Fin and me in the ambulance and explained everything again. He was confident he had been able to return Fin’s kneecap to the correct position and even took the time to have a chat about football with Fin, who had now regained consciousness and was beginning to feel the effects of all the medication he had received, becoming very chatty!

I will forever be grateful to Allister, and the 2 ambulance crews, for how they looked after Fin. I know that we are incredibly lucky to have had Allister in attendance.

And for Fin, he returned to football after 8 weeks, played a handful of games and devastatingly suffered the same injury again, thankfully this time without the need for the air ambulance. He has had to hang up his football boots for playing for the time being and has decided to use his passion for the game in another way, by becoming a referee whilst he awaits further advice from doctors. With further rest and treatment, he hopes to play again one day.

Karen’s story

Back in September 2015, my Mom fell from a ladder in the garden. She was unable to move and couldn’t feel anything from the chest down. She was taken to our local hospital where they discovered she had broken her neck. We were told she was 1mm away from being paralysed. My Mom was then transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham as they needed to operate to pin, plate and stabilise her neck and this required the expertise of their specialist team of Neurosurgeons.

The operation was a success, but that was just the start of the healing journey.

This is where the amazing services of the Midlands Air Ambulance came to our aid.

Following the operation my Mom required the specialist care of a rehabilitation hospital on the Welsh Boarder. It was far too dangerous to transport her the 70 miles by road, so the hospital enlisted the help of the Midlands Air Ambulance.

I remember being sat on the ward with Mom, waiting for the helicopter to arrive. You heard it before you could see it. Then the nurse came in an announced “your taxi has arrived!”. Two amazing gentlemen arrived on the ward and any fears or concerns we had about the care and/or safety of the transfer were put at ease as they chatted and explained the entire process.

My two boys were only young at the time, and they had one very specific question they wanted me to ask – what colour is the helicopter Nanny is going in? Unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed on the roof to get a picture of the helicopter, but they told me exactly where to stand so I could capture a video of Nanny’s most expensive taxi ride!!! We joke, we had to, it got us through an extremely difficult time. We have the video as a keepsake, it’s not necessarily a time we want to remember but it’s a reminder of the amazing people that helped Mom on the road to recovery. We are forever in their debt for her safe transportation to the rehabilitation hospital in Oswestry.

Mom faced months in hospital, she made it through 6 weeks lying completely still, which she thought was impossible. She faced intense physiotherapy, learning to walk again, building up the strength in her arms and hands, and re-learning essential tasks such as how to make a cup of tea safely.

The story has a happy ending. Mom finally came home in time for Christmas that year.

To conclude – huge thank you to the Midlands Air Ambulance for their support – in return our family are lifelong supporters and fund raisers for the charity!

Looking Ahead
GCA is also committing to carrying out further fundraising events for Midlands Air Ambulance throughout 2025. We’ll share more details about these exciting events as plans are finalised and we hope you will support our team with their sponsored endeavours!

Background information, taken from the Midlands Air Ambulance website…

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity is responsible for funding and operating three air ambulance helicopters and a fleet of critical care cars serving the communities of six Midlands counties: Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire (including Stoke-on-Trent), the West Midlands and Worcestershire. This constitutes the largest air ambulance operating region in England. The charity also provides secondary cover to surrounding areas, such as Warwickshire and Mid Wales.

Since 1991, the charity has responded to more than 77,000 missions, making it one of the longest established and busiest air ambulance organisations in the UK.

Each year it costs £16 million to maintain the three aircraft, critical care cars and the provision of a lifesaving service. Each air ambulance mission costs an average of £2,950. Each critical care car mission costs £288 on average. The charity does not receive funding from the Government for its daily missions so relies entirely on the support and generosity of local people and businesses.