What a wonderful first night back at Brownies we had in January after the Christmas holidays.

Morwenna Smart, Community Manager for Cornwall Air Ambulance, came along to our meeting to meet the girls who had worked so hard back in November to raise money for the charity. Morwenna was thrilled to hear the girls talk about how they organised and ran their Soup and Pudding event as part of their Charities badge, with Cornwall Air Ambulance chosen as their supported charity.

Morwenna was brilliant and gave the girls a fascinating and informative overview of the air ambulance service. She explained that the very first air ambulance flight took place in 1987, making Cornwall Air Ambulance the first service of its kind in the UK – something we can all be incredibly proud of. The girls learned about the vital role of the air ambulance and its crew, and through a PowerPoint presentation Morwenna was able to take us on a virtual tour of the aircraft and introduce the team.

We also learned about the call-out process, from the initial 999 call handled by South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust at their control centre in Exeter, right through to the air ambulance landing on scene. On average, the crew are airborne within just five minutes of receiving a call. It takes approximately 12 minutes to reach locations across Cornwall and around 28 minutes to reach the Isles of Scilly. That’s pretty amazing, and a perfect example of why Cornwall needs its air ambulance service.

A crew is on standby at their base at Trevithick Downs, Newquay, 365 days of the year for 19 hours a day, operating two shifts: an early shift from 7am to 5pm and a late shift from 4pm to 2am.

The girls thoroughly enjoyed the evening, especially the chance to try on some decommissioned uniforms and helmets. Morwenna presented each Brownie with their well-deserved Charities badge, and the girls were delighted to present her with the funds raised at their charity event.