A LIFESAVING charity is appealing for people to sign up for Gift Aid to support the air ambulance.

Those who have made a donation in the past four years to the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity are being asked to sign up to Gift Aid and help make lifesaving missions possible at no extra cost to them.

A spokesperson for the charity said signing up to Gift Aid instantly adds 25 per cent to the value of a donation – and it is free.

The charity will receive £1.25 for every £1 donated by those signed up to Gift Aid without it costing the supporter an additional penny.

Gift Aid can also be claimed retrospectively on any donation made in the last four years.

To be eligible to add Gift Aid to monetary donations to Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, supporters need to be a UK taxpayer and fill out a Gift Aid declaration form which can be found on the service’s website - midlandsairambulance.com/giftaid

In 2021, Gift Aid raised more than £82,750 for the pre-hospital emergency service – enough to fund an additional 56 lifesaving missions – 25 by air ambulance and 31 in the charity’s three critical care cars.

Emma Wood, head of fundraising and marketing for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, said: “Signing up to Gift Aid is one of the easiest ways fundraisers and donors can add value to their support as it doesn’t cost them anything, yet it makes such a significant difference to our service.

"We expect donations to our charity may decline in the coming months as a result of the cost-of-living crisis. That is why we are appealing for eligible UK taxpayers to declare Gift Aid on any donations that they have made in the past four years so that we can claim an additional 25 per cent from the government at no extra cost to the supporter.”