Air Ambulance Week: St Annes Golf Club launches charity year after member's lifesaving rescue
"The care I received on the course and on the way to hospital was lifesaving.”
As North West Air Ambulance Charity marks Air Ambulance Week, members of St Annes Old Links Golf Club are launching a year of fundraising in support of the charity after one of their own received lifesaving treatment following a cardiac arrest on the course.
The Lytham-based club has chosen NWAA as its Charity of the Year, with Club Captain David Cameron and Lady Captain Karen Lay pledging to raise vital funds to help keep the charity's lifesaving service operational.
They've organised a calendar of fundraising activities is planned throughout the year, as for members of St Annes Old Links, the charity's work has a particularly personal significance.
In 2023, club member Andrew Thornton collapsed whilst playing golf with friends on the course. The 59-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest on the ninth hole, prompting fellow golfers to call 999 and begin CPR immediately.
After initial treatment from North West Ambulance Service crews, NWAA's Critical Care Paramedics were dispatched to provide advanced lifesaving care. Working alongside ambulance colleagues, the specialist team helped stabilise Andrew at the scene before accompanying him to Blackpool Victoria Hospital.
After spending more than two weeks in hospital and being fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), Andrew went on to make a remarkable recovery and has since returned to playing golf, walking, driving and enjoying life with his family.
The experience inspired both Andrew and his wife, Jane, to support the charity that helped save his life. Today, Jane volunteers at NWAA's Lytham charity shop and at fundraising events, while Andrew volunteers at events across the region, helping raise awareness and funds for the service.
David Cameron, Club Captain at St Annes Old Links Golf Club, said: "Karen and I were looking to support a charity that touched every member of our golf club.
“We selected NWAA as the only service that can realistically save your life if you get into serious difficulty on a golf course.
“We decided on this before we found out that one of our members believed that he owed his life to NWAA. When we heard Andrew's story, it reinforced that we'd made the right decision.
“We are pleased to support this worthwhile charity and look forward to raising as much money as possible over the coming year."
Since the beginning of the year, the charity has attended more than 800 cardiac arrests and has been called to more than 500 incidents across Lancashire alone.
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Andrew Thornton said: "I feel incredibly honoured that St Annes Old Links Golf Club has chosen to support North West Air Ambulance Charity this year. Without the quick actions of my friends, the ambulance crews and the specialist team from NWAA, I may not be here today.
"The care I received on the course and on the way to hospital was lifesaving. Since my recovery, Jane and I have both become volunteers because we want to give something back to a charity that has given us so much. Being able to return to the golf course, spend time with family and friends, and enjoy everyday life again is something I'll never take for granted."
Reflecting on the day Andrew became ill, his wife, Jane, said: "I arrived at the golf course just before Andrew was taken to hospital. One of the NWAA paramedics told me, 'He has every chance', and that's when I realised how serious the situation was. The whole experience was surreal and frightening. Andrew had never been ill before, so it was hard to understand what had happened. Today, we're incredibly grateful for the care Andrew received and volunteering for the charity is our way of giving something back. Without the support of the crews who attended him that day, our lives could have looked very different."
Kelly Stepanuik, Senior Fundraiser for NWAA, said: "We're extremely grateful to everyone at St Annes Old Links Golf Club for choosing to support us throughout the year. Every donation raised by the club will help us continue bringing hospital-level care directly to patients across Lancashire and the wider North West when every second counts."