RESIDENTS are being urged to brew-up in a bid to raise cash for the North West Air Ambulance Charity (NWAA) in celebration of its 20th birthday.

Running over the next couple of months, this year's Brew with the Crew campaign from NWAA is asking people to raise cash through cake and a cuppa whether it's at home, school, a workplace or community centre.

It is estimated that at NWAA's Blackpool and Barton base, the crew miss around 6,782 brews every year due to call-outs - sometimes no sooner than a kettle is put on, crew members are called out to reach critically injured patients from across the North West.

Andy Duncan, lead Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) paramedic at the charity told the World: “To be able to celebrate our 20th birthday is testament to the fantastic support of our amazing fundraisers and volunteers.

"As an organisation which is entirely dependent on charitable contributions, we quite literally couldn’t do it without them.

“It’s a bit of a running joke amongst our crew that as soon as we click the kettle on, that’s when we always seem to get a mission call-out!

"There’s never any delay though – we’re straight onto the aircraft, getting to where our patients are as soon as possible.”

Any cash raised during a Brew with the Crew event will make a life-saving impact across the region.

Just £9 can fuel one of NWAA's three helicopters for one minute, £25 can buy a warming blanket to maintain body temperature for a severe trauma patient while £650 can provide a specialist stretcher.

Chief executive Heather Arrowsmith said: “Building on the success of Brew with the Crew last year, we’re now looking forward to kick-starting our 20th birthday celebrations in style.

"Our goal is to bring the whole North West together over tea, coffee, cake and sandwiches.”

To receive a free fundraising pack complete with games, recipes, bunting and more visit

nwaa.net/bwtc

, call 0800 587 4570 or email fundraising@nwaa.net