An art shop on Moreton-in-Marsh's High Street has achieved a lofty ambition by raising £5,000 for the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC).

For the last 10 years, business owner Stephen Farnsworth and the team at Grimes House Gallery have been raising funds for the airborn lifesavers who deliver critical care and air ambulance services for 2.1m people across Gloucestershire and the West Country.

The target was reached through donations, the sale of old frames and with the support of customers and wider community, with the gallery raising more and more every year until this month, when it achieved its goal.

Mr Farnsworth said: "We had already been raising funds for the County Air Ambulance for many years when my daughter had to have a flight in one. She was taken to The Great Western in Swindon after her femur was smashed by a kick from a horse in the middle of the countryside, it therefore became very personal and once we knew that GWAAC was the air ambulance for Gloucestershire we wanted to support and raise as much as possible."

He added: "It is especially needed in places like Moreton-in-Marsh. There are long journey times to trauma centres and since life-saving critical care can be delivered pre-hospital, the service provided by GWAAC is absolutely vital."

GWAAC's Critical Care Team were called to 573 incidents in Gloucestershire in 2023, but the charity receives no day-to-day funding from the government or National Lottery and relies on the support of the local community to keep them flying.

Emma Fawcett, GWAAC Supporter Engagement Coordinator, said: "At an average cost of £2000 per mission this really does make a life-saving difference. Their fundraising journey demonstrates the power of collective action and how every contribution, no matter how small, can lead to a substantial impact over time."

● The GWAAC Critical Care Team consists of trained and experienced Critical Care Doctors, Advanced Practitioners and Specialist Paramedics in Critical Care, who bring the expertise of a hospital emergency department to the patient. The Critical Care Team attends an average of more than five incidents a day, either by helicopter or in one of three critical-care cars. To remain operational, the charity needs to raise more than £4m a year.