29 Jan Air Ambulance’s stylish new shop officially opens in Colchester
The newest Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) shop in Head Street Colchester has been officially opened by Claire Cottrell, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Essex. The shop which sells designer and brand clothing plus accessories, takes the total number of EHAAT shops across Essex and Hertfordshire to ten.
Mrs Cottrell was accompanied by Jane Gurney, EHAAT’s CEO. Other invited guests included Nick and Elizabeth Cope (Mayor and Mayoress of Colchester) and Freya Goulding along with her son Tom, who was attended by EHAAT’s critical care team following an accident in 2018.
In 2018 Freya out with her four young children in Highwoods Country Park, Colchester, when Tom (4) was struck by an out of control cyclist.
Donna Lee, EHAAT’s Head of Retail said: “We are really excited to be opening our newest fundraising shop in Colchester. Our shops play a vital part in raising the £750,000 the charity needs each month to remain operational and saving lives. We hope that the merchandise we have selected will particularly appeal to Colchester’s fashion-conscious student population. We’ve got something for every taste!
“Like our other shops, this will be somewhere where people can come in and find out more about our work and learn about the many ways they can support us, such as fundraising or volunteering.
“The shop opened for business earlier this month and the response we’ve had from people donating goods or coming into the shop has been really positive. We are looking forward to welcoming many more local people through the doors.”
Freya Goulding recalled the day her son Tom was attended by EHAAT: “We were walking around the lake when a teenager on a bike came down the hill at speed and hit Tom. Even from a distance I could see it was serious. The leg looked like it was snapped in half, and there was a lot of blood.
“A land ambulance crew came quickly, but given his age they couldn’t give him gas and air, and called the air ambulance.”
“The EHAAT team were able to administer ketamine and fentanyl before escorting him to the hospital where the major trauma team was waiting. I dread to think how much worse it could have been, if they’d had to move him without those drugs. The care the crew took was amazing.”
Following his discharge from hospital Tom visited the EHAAT airbase at Earls Colne.
“Tom absolutely loved his visit to the airbase, he can’t stop telling people about it! It was very emotional when we saw the helicopter and met the crew. They are Tom’s heroes now.”
The shop, at 16 Head Street, Colchester, CO1 1NY is open from 9am to 4.30pm Monday to Saturday. For more information about this and the other EHAAT shops visit ehaat.org/shops or call 0345 2417 690.
