Hotel’s schemehelps save lives

The George in Rye introduced a scheme in which guests were kindly asked to pledge £1 to one of two charities when they checked out, which the George matches again.

A total of £1,316 (including gift aid) was raised for the Air Ambulance which operations manager James Blom presented to the pilot, doctor and paramedic during a visit to the helicopter base at Marden.

He said: “We started the scheme last August and it was such a huge success that we decided to extend it beyond the season. The guests have been very supportive, very complimentary and very generous.

“We’ve supported various charities since and we wanted to do something for the emergency services in the area including the Air Ambulance and the lifeboats.”

Three years ago, an air ambulance was called out to James when he fell off a ladder while working as a painter and decorator. He suffered a broken ankle and wrist but has since made a full recovery.

The George in Rye is a luxury 34-bedroom hotel which dates back to 1575 and was voted among the top five in the UK.

The wedding venue also boasts a Georgian ballroom which seats 100 guests and a restaurant which sources its seafood from the trawlers of Rye Bay.

Earlier this year the George played host to top Hollywood stars George Clooney and Matt Damon who were in Rye to film the war-time thriller Monuments Men, due to be screened later this year.

The Air Ambulance has played a vital role in the Rye area in getting casualties to hospital quickly, responding to everything from car to horse riding accidents.