Midlands Air Ambulance Charity has been chosen as West Midlands Metro’s Charity of the Year for 2026, launching a year-long fundraising programme in support of one of the region’s most vital emergency services.
The new partnership reflects Metro’s ongoing commitment to supporting causes that make a real difference across the West Midlands. Colleagues are hoping to raise significant funds through a range of activities to help keep the charity’s helicopters in the air and its critical care cars responding on the ground.
Vicki Bennett, Customer Services Manager at West Midlands Metro, said: “Since 2021, colleagues have nominated and voted for a cause that’s close to their hearts. During that time, we’ve supported Black Country Women’s Aid, Macmillan Cancer Care, Cancer Research and Compton Care.
“Our teams have organised a wide range of fundraising activities, including raffles, sponsored walks and coffee mornings. Ad hoc donations and funds from unclaimed lost property have also helped boost the total raised.
“We’re looking forward to using the same approach to support our newly chosen Charity of the Year throughout 2026.”
Operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, Midlands Air Ambulance Charity has a clear mission: to save lives by saving time. The charity is called out on average to 10 missions a day across its six-county region.
Its three helicopters, supported by a fleet of critical care cars, enable highly skilled medical teams to reach patients anywhere in the region within minutes. With no government funding, the charity must raise £16 million every year to maintain its life-saving operations.
Jon Cottrell, Senior Partnership Manager for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, added: “We are incredibly grateful to West Midlands Metro for selecting us as their charity of the year for 2026. Support like this plays a vital role in helping us continue delivering exceptional pre-hospital care to those in urgent need. We’re excited to build and strengthen this partnership in the year ahead.”
As the new partnership gets underway, the first fundraising activity will launch with a raffle, marking the start of a year of fundraising and awareness-raising across the Metro network.
To find out more about Midlands Air Ambulance, visit the charity’s website here. To make a donation and support the charity’s life‑saving work, click here.