With 16,700 children in Scotland currently
living with a life shortening condition, Loganair has renewed its charity
partnership with Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) to ensure essential
connectivity for families in the most remote areas of the country.
Throughout the past 12 months, CHAS has
directly supported 419 babies, children and young people, and thousands of family
members, with its hospital teams supporting hundreds more. Among those were
families in some of Scotland’s most remote communities who have been reached
thanks to the charity’s initial yearlong partnership with Loganair.
However, CHAS has an ambition to reach more
families, providing support with increasing medical and social complexity, and ensuring that no one
faces the death of their child alone.
As the largest operator at Aberdeen Airport,
Loganair provides a lifeline resource for the Scottish Islands community,
operating services from islands such as Stornoway, Shetland, Orkney, Barra and
Tiree. Through its partnership with CHAS, the airline has provided children and
staff nurses with flights for CHAS at Home services, offering specialist care and
vital respite to families across the country within their own homes.
Loganair has also been fundraising and
volunteering for CHAS and gifted several children and their families with an
Easter experience flight at Glasgow Airport.
Looking to the second year of the partnership,
Loganair and CHAS are working together to identify families across the country
who may need their support and will be facilitating essential connectivity
through flights across the airline’s network. Loganair is also planning to continue
fundraising and volunteering efforts, and the team are currently organising a
special Santa flight for the children and their families this Christmas.
Nicky Bridges, Associate Director
for Outreach Services at CHAS, said: “We are delighted that Loganair has extended
the partnership with CHAS. The work Loganair has done with us to date has been
immense. The Easter flight enabled children who have never flown before to have
this experience and create wonderful memories with their families. We are all
really excited to see how the partnership enables us to reach even more
families over the next year.”
Luke Lovegrove, Loganair’s Chief Commercial
Officer, said: “As
the country’s only palliative care provider for children, it is imperative that
CHAS can reach those in need and we’re extremely proud to renew our partnership
and assist the charity as it expands its reach.
“During the first year of our partnership we have learned
more about the incredible work and support that CHAS provides and we have been
truly humbled. Supplying means of travel is a small part that we can play in
assisting the charity with its ambitions and we look forward to helping many
more families throughout the coming months.”