From 2 to 15 November, 15 of us at Millbrook will set out to cover 1,000km in just 14 days, raising money for The Air Ambulance Service.

That’s roughly the straight-line distance from Land’s End to John o’Groats (plus a bit extra to get to the pub). Shared across the team, it works out at about an hour’s walk every day for every one of us. Walking, running and cycling all count, so we can each clock up our kilometres in the way that suits us best.

All starting from different places

We’re a mixed bunch. One of us (Jess) runs 100km endurance races. Some of us have dogs to walk and kids to chase after, and some will be dusting off their bikes. Others would happily admit they avoid anything active whenever they can.

We all have different starting points, so each of us will be working hard relative to our own circumstances. It’s a real team effort, and we’ll only hit 1,000km if everyone is on board from day one.

About the air ambulance

Air ambulances bring hospital-level care straight to patients in the moments that matter most. Across the UK, 21 independent air ambulance charities run 43 helicopters and critical care cars. Together they complete more than 50,000 missions a year, about 137 every day.

Each mission costs roughly £3,000 to £4,750, and patients are never charged. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, these services are funded mostly by public donations, not the government, so community fundraising keeps them flying.

Our charity initiative

This challenge is part of Millbrook’s charity initiative. Every member of the team has chosen a charity that matters to them. A few times a year, we draw one at random. The person whose charity is picked then organises a way for us to support it, either by volunteering our time or by setting up a fundraising challenge.

This time Jess’s name came out of the hat, and she chose The Air Ambulance Service, a charity close to her heart. It’s a cause that feels close to home for all of us, as through our work in medical conferences we know of some air ambulance doctors.

How you can support us

If you’d like to cheer us on, you can donate on our fundraising page: https://www.goodhub.com/go/the-air-ambulance-service-247245

Every donation, however small, keeps us going when the kilometres start to add up.

Follow our progress

We’ll be tracking every kilometre to make sure we reach our goal, and we’ll share an update on how we’re doing after week one. Watch this space.