To mark Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s 30th anniversary year, the lifesaving service has teamed up with 'The Word Association' to create an anthology of poems and creative writing.

The project was funded via a National Lottery project grant from Arts Council England, and printing of the book was kindly sponsored by solicitors’ firm, Irwin Mitchell.

Past patients, aircrew, volunteers and charity staff have all reflected on their own experiences with the charity and contributed to creating ‘On a Mission: 30 Years of Rapid Response’. The anthology is now available for just £10 at midlandsairambulance.com.
 
The idea to create the memoir was first brought about by Giovanni ‘Spoz’ Esposito, director of The Word Association, which is a community interest company based in Worcestershire. The award-winning poet said:

“Poetry and writing of any kind, is a lovely way of expressing one's self and can be a healthy release of emotion too. Reading the poems, stories and letters from people affected and/or involved with MAAC, has been a humbling, yet uplifting experience for me. I hope the book resonates with many others too.”
 
Emma Gray, chief operating officer at Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, added: “The anthology provides an incredible reflection of people’s experiences of the charity over the last 30 years.

"Our team of staff, patients, volunteers and supporters found it extremely rewarding to work with The Word Association. We are proud of the three-decade story that this book tells.
 
“As our daily missions are entirely funded by the generosity of the public and local businesses, we hope people across the communities we serve purchase ‘On a Mission’ to find out more about the impact of our service, but also to support us during our milestone anniversary year.”
 
To purchase your copy, either visit midlandsairambulance.com/shop or visit a Midlands Air Ambulance Charity shop in your area.