THE Essex and Herts Air Ambulance chief has been shortlisted for a national charity award.

The service - which as recently as last Friday (3 August) carried out life-saving work at the scene of a serious accident on Maldon bypass - is charity-funded.

Jane Gurney, chief executive of the charity, has been named in a shortlist of just seven charity bosses for Charity Leader of the Year in the Charity Times Awards 2020.

The award which will be presented during an online awards evening on Thursday, 3 September.

The Charity Times Awards honour outstanding professionals in charity management by recognising, celebrating and promoting best practice in the sector.

Changing the county's air ambulance service

When Jane Gurney joined the air ambulance charity, first responder care was provided by paramedics and delivered across one county by a single helicopter.

Essex and Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) now delivers its life-saving service with pre-hospital care doctors and critical care paramedics across two counties, around the clock, 365 days a year, using two helicopters and four rapid response vehicles (RRVs).

Since March 2019, the charity's helicopters and RRVs have carried blood supplies on board, enabling its critical care teams to carry out potentially life-saving blood transfusions before a patient reaches hospital.

Another key milestone for Jane has been overseeing the building of a new airbase at North Weald Airfield, future-proofing the charity's operations there. The base is due to be operational by Summer 2021.

Jane said: "It is such a privilege to lead such a committed and dedicated team and I'm delighted to be considered for this prestigious award.

"I would like to thank everyone whose hard work, dedication and passion has helped to make Essex & Herts Air Ambulance what it is today.

"Being recognised in this way is a real validation of the work my team and I have put in to continually develop the charity and improving the life-saving service we provide to the patients who need it the most."

To view the latest time-lapse footage of the North Weald air base build and learn how you can support this project through the charity's Buy-a-Brick Campaign visit the EHAAT website