East Anglian Air Ambulance is one of several air ambulance charities in the UK set to benefit from a £5 million fund from Libor fines.

The charity is to receive £250,000 from the fund, which will contribute to training up to 40 paramedics and doctors who make sure the charity’s two helicopters operate all year, covering Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Bedfordshire.

Charity chief executive Patrick Peal said: “What the government is doing is contributing to the work we do. Out of this banking scandal they are helping us in the life-saving work we do. It’s a significant contribution and we are going to put it to extremely good use.”

The funding was confirmed last week at a meeting between Chancellor George Osborne and the national Association of Air Ambulances, whose charity will distribute the money among the 20 local air ambulance charities set to benefit.

Mr Osborne said: “From enabling the fantastic Air Ambulance services to extend their flying hours, to helping build brand new specialist headquarters, this funding will play a vital role on helping to save hundreds of lives every year. It is absolutely right that we use funds from those who demonstrated the worst values to reward those who demonstrate the best, like our hardworking air ambulance crews.”

The announcement follows extensive lobbying by the Association of Air Ambulances and is in addition to the Libor funds already announced for three air ambulance charities.

It also follows the announcement of relief of VAT on air ambulance charities and aviation fuel which was announced last year. Combined the changes will be worth over £15 million over the next 5 years.

This excellent news will potentially equate to 800 more patients per year being saved.

For more information on the work of the East Anglian Air Ambulance, visit www.eaaa.org.uk or call 08450-669999. You can also follow on Twitter at @EastAngliAirAmb or ‘like’ the Facebook page – East Anglian Air Ambulance Charity.