Isle of Wight ferry operator Red Funnel raises £30,000 for charity

Red Funnel has been raising funds for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance after the charity was chosen to be its 2025 charity partner.

The money raised so far has come from customer donations online while booking travel, collection boxes at terminals and onboard, and staff fundraising initiatives.

This fundraising comes as the charity looks to raise £3.6 million to support its plans to relocate its airbase to Southampton.

The new base will improve response times for patients across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, putting the teams within a ten-minute flight time from take-off to almost every patient in the region.

Richard Corbett, chief executive of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, said: "From the first moment they visited our airbase, we knew this partnership was going to be special and create an enormous impact.

"I cannot emphasise enough what a difference working with Red Funnel has made to our service - on our charity team who have loved working alongside the staff and customers of Red Funnel and for our patients and their families who will benefit from Red Funnel's generosity."

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Red Funnel airbase visit. (Image: Red Funnel)

These funds raised by Red Funnel staff and customers are already helping the charity’s expert teams, including doctors, dispatchers, pilots and paramedics, who respond to around seven emergencies every day.

In 2024 alone, they were called out nearly 2,500 times, and more than 20,000 times in its 18-year history.

Fran Collins, chief executive of Red Funnel, said: "As we begin the final months of our fundraising partnership, I want to say a huge thank you to our colleagues and customers.

"Every donation and every bit of effort is helping to support the life-saving work of the air ambulance team.

"It’s a privilege to be part of something that makes such a real difference in our community and I’m immensely proud of our team for going above and beyond to support this incredible cause."

Since launching its annual programme in 2015, Red Funnel has raised over £400,000 in support of local charitable organisations.