LifeFlight Celebrates National Volunteer Week

Images Courtesy RACQ LifeFlight Rescue

As part of National Volunteer Week (May 8 – 14) LifeFlight is celebrating the hard work its ‘team on the ground’ does, to help keep its crews and helicopters in the sky.

When Errol Kerr retired she researched different charities, looking for somewhere meaningful to spend her time and to give back to the community.

That’s when she came across LifeFlight - a world leader in aeromedical care and Australia's most diversified service with both a fixed and rotary wing fleet - , and instantly Errol  knew it would be a perfect fit.

“I settled for LifeFlight because of the work it does in the community, it’s a service that is needed because of the remote regions,” she said.

The Toowoomba local has certainly been kept busy since joining LifeFlight (formerly known as CareFlight) in 2015. Errol has spent countless hours working at the base, doing everything from preparing merchandise for upcoming events, to assisting with administration and promoting the lifesaving service in the South West community.

Regardless of the task she’s faced with Errol says the volunteer work is never boring.

“I love the opportunity to help raise funds at various events and at numerous locations. It also provides social interaction on many levels,” she said.

ast year the Toowoomba-based RACQ LifeFlight Rescue Helicopter flew 587 lifesaving missions, which cost the charity $7.3 million. It takes help from our dedicated volunteers in the office, at fund raising events, and in the community, to help keep LifeFlight’s lifesaving crews and helicopters in the sky. Since 1981, LifeFlight has been a vital lifesaving part of Queensland. Now in its 36th full year of operation, LifeFlight has flown over 46,000 critical rescue missions.

For Errol one of her favourite volunteering days of the year is community open day, when the Toowoomba hangar opens its doors to the public. On that one day, hundreds of people visit the hangar, gaining a stronger appreciation for the important lifesaving work that LifeFlight does on a daily basis.

Each year more than 100 people around Queensland donate their time to LifeFlight at its five community helicopter bases to help provide rapid response medical care to the community.

“Volunteers are an important part of our LifeFlight family. We simply could not do our work without them. Each volunteer has their own story to share and bring skills unique to their life experiences,” said LifeFlight Community Engagement Manager Vicki James.

Vicki says LifeFlight still needs more volunteers to support its fantastic community events, selling merchandise and conducting  hangar tours.

Signing up to volunteer is easy - to find out how visit www.lifeflight.org.au