Air Ambulance recognises long-standing volunteer on #GivingTuesday

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
A dedicated volunteer for Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex is celebrating 35 years of service.

On #GivingTuesday David Mantz is being praised as a prime example of the difference a person can make by volunteering for a cause close to their heart.

David started volunteering for KSS in 1989 when the lifesaving service was founded, and has never looked back.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He was inspired to join after hearing from the charity’s founder, Kate Chivers, two years before the charity even had its first helicopter, when the idea of an air ambulance for Kent was in its infancy. Since that moment, David has done everything he can to help the organisation succeed. 

David Mantz has been a dedicated volunteer with Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) for 35 years.David Mantz has been a dedicated volunteer with Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) for 35 years.
David Mantz has been a dedicated volunteer with Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) for 35 years.

As one of the charity’s first volunteers, David has paved the way for many others to follow in his footsteps, and today it has more than 100 active volunteers.

As a passionate advocate for the charity and its mission to deliver outstanding treatment and care, David has delivered talks to community groups across Kent, Surrey and Sussex, inspiring and generating support. 

He has helped to raise over £60K by delivering over 100 talks, selling raffle tickets, encouraging donations at events and more. Together with his wife, also a volunteer, David has packaged and sent out thousands of Christmas cards to supporters over the years. Keen to share his knowledge, he has also trained other volunteers in these activities, which has in turn saved the charity thousands of pounds that would have otherwise been spent to outsource the work. 

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

David Welch, Chief Executive Officer of the Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex, said: “David has devoted 37 years to supporting us, which we are so very thankful for. He saw the vision from our founder and amazingly committed two years to helping raise funds before we even had our first helicopter. We are now a world-leading provider of pre-hospital critical care and have attended over 46,000 missions since we were founded. We owe David and his family our sincere thanks and appreciation for the years of dedication, generosity and kindness he has committed to the Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex and the communities we serve.”  

Claire Stanley, who is the UK leader for Giving Tuesday, said “David’s commitment and dedication has helped transform this ambitious charity into an invaluable and essential service that is saving lives across Kent, Surrey and Sussex safe. The focus on raising both funds and awareness amongst the local community shows us how people can use their skills and voice to inspire others and make a real difference.

She added: “We hope David’s story gets people thinking about how they can support their local charities this Giving Tuesday, so together we can transform our communities for the better.” 

David was appointed as Director of Air Ambulance Promotions Limited (AAPL) in March 2001, a wholly owned trading company raising funds for the charity through the delivery of the Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex lottery and selling of merchandise. Through this role, he has witnessed and supported the medical advances made throughout the charity’s 35-year history. This includes the move to carry blood and doctors on board, becoming the first 24/7 Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) in the country, and serving the communities of Kent, Surrey and Sussex with two AW169 helicopters that the charity now proudly owns. 

Within his Director’s role David helps to oversee the running of the charity’s lottery and raffles, the charity’s biggest income stream raising £95.5M since David first joined. 

Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice