Air ambulance’s Yellow Yorkshire campaign is back for 2015

Yorkshire Air Ambulance visits Thornhill Academy for 'Wear it Yellow Day ' Staff and pupils. Picture Scott Merrylees SM1003/95c

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) bosses are hoping to turn Yorkshire yellow once again by recapturing some of the Tour fever that saw them raise more than £28,500 last year.

The charity is urging residents to stage yellow jersey-themed events to celebrate the arrival of the 2014 Tour de France Grand Depart last summer.

More than 50 schools, businesses and communities embraced the cycling spirit of Le Tour by signing up and staging colourful fundraising events, and this year the YAA is hoping for more of the same on July 3.

Kerry Garner, the charity’s regional fundraising manager, said: “We had a brilliant response last year from people across West Yorkshire who held a wide range of events from yellow themed bake sales to static yellow bike challenges.

“We’re hoping as many people as possible will get behind Yellow Yorkshire Day 2015, raising as much as they can for us but also having lots of fun in the process.”

The YAA needs to raise £12,000 each day to keep its two helicopters saving lives.

Tour-tinged celebrations in aid of the YAA went global last year, with Hewlett Construction turning its offices in both Leeds and Oman yellow for the day, as thousands raised money and wore yellow county wide.

Other high profile contributions saw hundreds of teachers and pupils from Thornhill Academy, which starred in Channel 4’s Educating Yorkshire documentary, dress up, ride bikes and donate generously to the YAA.

After initially setting out a £10,000 fundraising target, enthusiastic readers helped to almost triple that.

Visit www.yaa.org.uk for a fundraising pack or donate direct at www.justgiving.com/yaayellowyorkshire2015.