A South East Cornwall businessman has jumped on board a major fund-raising drive to buy Cornwall’s next air ambulance.

Alastair Carnegie, managing director of Stoke Climsland-based energy broker Total Energy Solutions, has been invited to join the fund-raising board for the £2.5m New Heli Appeal.?The panel of board members, which includes the High Sheriff of Cornwall Paul Young-Jamieson, will be responsible for coming up with fund-raising ideas over the next two years.?The charity wants to buy a medically advanced Augusta Westland 169 (AW169) helicopter by April 2020, which is when the lease on its current aircraft runs out.?Alastair said: ‘Our firm has been supporting the charity for several years and I was truly honoured to be asked to join the CAAT Appeal board. The new state-of-the-art helicopter will save lives and be a great legacy for Cornwall. I can’t wait to get going.’

Paula Martin, Chief Executive of Cornwall Air Ambulance, said: ‘Ali and his team have been helping Cornwall Air Ambulance for over five years and has really helped us to manage our energy costs.

‘The challenge we have ahead of us to raise £2.5m in less than two years is enormous, but with the help and advice of people like Ali, and the support of the people of Cornwall, we will be able to save more lives in the future.’

Ambassadors of the New Heli Appeal are television stars and authors Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, who both share a love of Cornwall and have a property in the county.

During 2017, Cornwall’s current helicopter carried out 869 missions, airlifted 346 patients to hospital, dealt with 130 road accidents, carried 112 babies, children and teenagers and dealt with 316 heart related emergencies.

To find out more about the New Heli Appeal and how you can support it, log on to www.cornwallairambulancetrust.org.