Great North Air Ambulance, which operates three AS365 Dauphin Helicopters in the northern-most counties of England was last week the recipient of £1 Million. GNAA was one of eleven air ambulance charities which received similar donations from a Government fund levied on banks for manipulating the LIBOR (London Inter-Bank Offered Rate).

In a statement attributed to its Chief Executive Grahame Pickering, GNAA stated “We had applied for £1.9m funding through the Treasury…. The £1m we have been allocated is a welcome boost towards this project, though the £900k shortfall leaves us with some work to do to reach our target. It’s a shame that the decision leaves something of a question mark over a project which will ultimately save lives and ease suffering of patients, young and old”.

To put this in perspective, the charity’s most recent annual accounts show they had £4.484 million in the bank, and the highest-paid employee earned over £120,000 for at least the second year running.

Let’s hope the other recipients of these banking fine grants sound more grateful!