East Anglian Air Ambulance has launched an urgent £8.2 million fundraising appeal to build a new air base in Cambridgeshire, after securing planning permission for a new site outside Fulbourn.
The charity must relocate before losing its current home at Cambridge Airport which is due to close in 2030. Without a Cambridge base, East Anglian Air Ambulance’s service would be cut in half, leaving just one airbase in Norfolk and dramatically increasing response times to people facing life-threatening emergencies across the region.
The new Cambridge Air Base Appeal aims to fund the construction of a new and improved facility on land at New Shardelowes Farm, ensuring the charity can continue to deliver hospital-level critical care to patients in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk for decades to come.
Without a centrally located base, crews would take significantly longer to reach patients when every second counts - putting nearly 1,000 lives a year at risk.
Matthew Jones, CEO of East Anglian Air Ambulance, said: “We are at a pivotal moment in our history. For nearly two decades, we have worked in partnership with the owners of Cambridge Airport, Marshall, to ensure that our Cambridge-based helicopter, critical care cars and specialist crews can reach people in their greatest time of need, quickly and effectively.
“Now, this vital part of our lifesaving service is under threat. We’ve moved swiftly to secure planning permission for a new site in Fulbourn, but we must now raise the funds to build the base. This is our biggest and most ambitious challenge yet, and we can’t do it alone. We urgently need the public’s help.”
The appeal has the backing of several local people whose lives - or the lives of their loved ones - were saved by East Anglian Air Ambulance’s Cambridge crew.
They include:
- Mia Cornelius, from Haverhill, whose baby son Clayton was saved after being born prematurely at just 26 weeks in 2025
- Jonathan Moran, from Peterborough, who suffered a brain haemorrhage in September 2022
- Deryck Thake, from Cambridge, whose 19-year-old son was treated by the Anglia Two (Cambridge) crew following a road traffic collision in 2025
Concluding, Matthew Jones said: “The vision for our new Cambridge base isn’t just about bricks and mortar. It’s about making sure people in life‑threatening emergencies across our region continue to receive the very best care, fast.
“It will also allow us to meet increasingly complex operational needs, provide world-class training facilities and protect our ability to serve our communities for generations to come.
“We don’t just transfer patients to hospital - we bring hospital‑level treatment to them, giving them the best possible chance of survival when every second counts. It takes a team to save a life, and we hope the public will help us in this crucial appeal. Whatever people can give will be greatly appreciated.”
East Anglian Air Ambulance has made it easy for people across Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk to support the appeal:
- Text BASE10 or BASE20 to 70480 to donate £10 or £20 (Texts cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate. Donors will opt in to hear more from the charity; to donate without receiving further information, text BASENOINFO.)
- Call the donation hotline on 03450 669 999 (Monday–Friday, 8.30am–5pm)
- Donate online at eaaa.org.uk/base
- Return a donation or direct debit pledge using appeal envelopes being delivered to households across the region
- Donations of £175 or more will be recognised by adding a supporter’s chosen name to one of the charity’s helicopters
Supporters can also fundraise by hosting events or taking on challenges - from bake sales and charity balls, to marathons, skydives and other adventurous activities. Schools, businesses, sports clubs and community groups are also being encouraged to make East Anglian Air Ambulance their chosen charity and fundraise together in ways that work for them.
The charity estimates that if every household across Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk gave just £10, the appeal target would be exceeded immediately.
Working alongside the emergency services, East Anglian Air Ambulance responds to the most serious one per cent of emergency calls. In 2025 alone, its crews provided critical care to 1,845 people, including 151 children. From its Cambridge base, the Anglia Two helicopter can reach approximately 1.2 million people within just ten minutes.
For more information or to donate, visit eaaa.org.uk/base.
