Last Saturday, 27th June, ten-year-old Esther Francis, from Midsomer Norton, was invited to visit the Great Western Air Ambulance base at Filton. Esther has been fundraising for the charity for the past eighteen months, since her Great Grandad was airlifted by them to Frenchay.
They are a charity organisation and can only keep
running through donations. Every time the helicopter takes off to attend a patient, it costs, on average, £2,000.
Esther is well known for her cake baking, especially her lemon drizzle cake. She has baked and sold cakes to raise money and her latest venture was a five-hour
sponsored silence, which, for anyone who knows her, will understand it was no easy task! In total, she has raised £320 and there will be a sponsored spinathon taking place this month to further boost funds.
On Saturday, Esther presented the Air Ambulance with a cheque and a tray of cakes.
Esther wants to raise awareness of the work the Air Ambulance does and the enormous costs to keep their brand new helicopter in the air.
A guided tour of the base and the new helicopter made for a very interesting and enjoyable afternoon!