THE 2022 ‘Outrun an Ambulance’ virtual event has been launched by six regional Ambulance Charities.

Outrun an Ambulance was founded last year by the South Western Ambulance Charity, the charitable arm of the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT).

Communities in the East of England, London, Yorkshire, the North West, the South Central and South West regions of England are being asked to rise to the challenge and support their ambulance personnel, by conquering the mileage an ambulance covers on an average shift while responding to people in urgent need.

Zoe Larter, Head of the South Western Ambulance Charity, said:

“Our ambulance staff and volunteers really are going the extra mile to keep us all safe during these challenging times. It’s now our time to go the extra mile for them!

“We are really excited to welcome the five other charities to this year’s event. It’s great to have them on board, including William Warrender, CEO of SWASFT  and Daniel Elkeles, CEO of London Ambulance Service, who will be taking part in this year’s ‘Outrun an Ambulance’.

“Taking part in the ‘Outrun an Ambulance’ challenge means not only supporting the vital work of Ambulance Charities, but it’s a great reason for people to focus on their own health and wellbeing too.

“The challenge is designed to suit all people and all abilities. You don’t need to complete it in one go, and you could take part as a team with each individual covering part of the distance.”

Participants are challenged to complete their selected distance, plus one extra mile. If they don’t want to run, they can walk, swim, scoot, hand-cycle, or ride anything that is self-propelled.

Fundraisers can choose their timeframe, up to a maximum of three months, to ‘outrun’ the distance by at least one mile.

The ‘Outrun an Ambulance’ fundraiser was dreamt up by an Emergency Care Assistant from SWASFT, while she was shielding during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Shannon Witts and her family outran the total mileage of 550 miles for nine ambulance stations in the Gloucestershire, Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire areas, raising over £500 towards the 2021 total.

The charities that are participating in 2022 are the South Western Ambulance Charity, East of England Ambulance Charity, London Ambulance Charity, North West Ambulance Charity, South Central Ambulance Charity and Yorkshire Ambulance Service Charity.

In its first year, ‘Outrun an Ambulance’ generated over £12,000 of vital donations for the South Western Ambulance Charity.

Money raised for the South Western Ambulance Charity as part of this year’s ‘Outrun an Ambulance’ challenge will support SWASFT staff and volunteers by funding well-being enhancements at local stations throughout the region.

As participants prepare for their challenge, it is recommended that they speak to their GP first if they have not exercised for some time or have any medical conditions or concerns. For further guidance visit www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise. It is also recommended that people stick to well-lit areas if exercising outdoors after dark.

For more information and to set up a personal fundraising page for the ‘Outrun an Ambulance’ challenge, please visit: www.outrunanambulance.co.uk. Fundraisers can choose the area they want to support and discover the mileage target options for their own fundraising challenge.