Virgin to terminate London Air Ambulance sponsorship??

[Tim Deegan]

Originally Posted by Osem

I'm always very cautious about dealing with chuggers and doorstep callers believe me. I don't think it was a scam as they weren't asking for money - in fact the guy who knocked at my door refused a cash donation. He explained that they do have other sponsors but were concerned about losing their main one and the effect it might have on the service. Judging by the quite lengthy conversation we had (sadly we've been fairly regular ambulance users over the years due to our youngest's various problems) he was a very knowledgeable and articulate guy and certainly knew all about the various conditions my son suffers and the emergency medication he has to carry (which is not even carried by ambulances). I find it hard to believe that an opportunist scammer would know much, if anything, about such things.

You could be right. It sounds like they were trying to do what they do in every other county that doesn't get sponsorship, and were looking at possible donations in the future.

I've actually worked with the London air ambulance on many occasions, as until individual counties got their own, they used to cover the home counties also for some incidents involving serious trauma. But they now rarely leave London. You would think with the population of London, that fund raising wouldn't be the same problem that it is in the more rural areas.

---------- Post added at 11:49 ---------- Previous post was at 11:46 ----------

Originally Posted by Osem

Update:

Curiouser and curiouser...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...Ambulance.html


This article from 2011 states that the Santander money is in addition to Virgin's sponsorship so I wonder if Virgin has very recently decided to review that situation and that's what my visitor was referring to?

Are Virgin Money linked to Santander?

[Pog66]

Originally Posted by Tim Deegan

Are Virgin Money linked to Santander?

It was originally a startup with Norfwich Union (Aviva) so no official link with Santander.

What is being overlooked is whether Virgin Group (and or Mr Branson personally) is looking to give to another worthwhile (and maybe not London centric) cause. I believe Virgin Money's r sposnorship of Newcaste Utd inherited from Northern Rock is also due to end this season

[Osem]

Yes that could very well be true and I'm sure VM (like many big companies) supports various good causes in various places, not just London. Anyway, I'm certainly not in the anti-Richard Branson camp and who knows if he's had anything to do with this matter, if indeed there's any truth in it. Hard to believe though that, in 21st C Britain, vital front line services like this rely on charity.

[Tim Deegan]

Originally Posted by Osem

Yes that could very well be true and I'm sure VM (like many big companies) supports various good causes in various places, not just London. Anyway, I'm certainly not in the anti-Richard Branson camp and who knows if he's had anything to do with this matter, if indeed there's any truth in it. Hard to believe though that, in 21st C Britain, vital front line services like this rely on charity.

Very true. Personally I think it's disgusting, especially when the government have paid for specialist ambulance service teams to be set up, and to run until after the olympics. But they can't even finance essential services that are needed on a daily basis, and always will be.

[Tim Deegan]

Essex Air Ambulance are even using animals to raise money

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Tim Deegan

Essex Air Ambulance are even using animals to raise money

Why a cow?

[Tim Deegan]

Originally Posted by Gary L

Why a cow?

Who knows. Cows seem to do some strange things in that town: