Great North Air Ambulance Service

The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) has received a legacy donation of more than £80,000 from a “modest” joiner and undertaker.

Frank Barker, from Calderbridge, ran his own joinery and undertaker business and had a lifelong passion for motorbikes.

He sadly passed away in February 2022 aged 92 but very generously left a donation in his Will for GNAAS, which was £80,872.32.

Mr Barker’s cousin Sally Ingall, who was the executor of his Will, recently visited GNAAS’ base in Langwathby, Penrith with her son Bryan Ingall to learn more about the operations of the charity and how the donation will help them in the future.

Mr Ingall said: “Frank was a very quiet guy and very modest. He was a countryman, enjoyed fishing, and went to the pub quite regularly for the company.

“He knew everybody around the area, and I didn’t hear anyone say a bad word about him. He was a big part of the village.”

Mr Barker spent most of his life in Calderbridge apart from two years’ national service with the RAF. He was incredibly close to his sister who was 14 years older than him, and his home was filled with several motorbikes.

Mr Ingall said: “His passion was motorbikes and always had been since he was a young man, after he came back from the RAF.

“He built a few classic race bikes which were used by a number of people, and he used to go to the Manx Grand Prix and TT races in the Isle of Man.”

Mrs Ingall added: “When I was 16 or 17 he used to take me to the grass tracks and said I was the best pillion he ever had.

“He was a lovely fella, good fun and good for the craic because his age meant he could remember really far back.”

As a motorcyclist, Mr Barker was aware of the work of GNAAS, who regularly respond to motorcycle incidents, and had previously supported the charity by buying tickets for their raffle and playing the lottery.

Mr Ingall said: “He was always keen on GNAAS because it’s quite close to a lot of motorcyclist’s hearts.”

Following the donation in Frank’s Will, Mr and Mrs Ingall were invited to GNAAS’ base and were given a tour of the air ambulance by the charity’s critical care team.

Mr Ingall said: “It was very interesting looking at the helicopter and seeing how it all worked.

“We often see them flying over Wasdale and the Scafell area.”

Mrs Ingall added: “I was astounded by the space inside the helicopter, as it looks so much bigger when I watch them on the tv.

“The amount of equipment they have, including surgical equipment and a tiny ultrasound scanner, is just amazing.

“It’s nice to know Frank’s contribution will help GNAAS continue to operate. If the money saves anybody’s lives that’s wonderful.”

Leaving a gift in your Will can make a real difference in GNAAS’ future and help them continue to treat critically ill or injured people across the region. To find out more about leaving a gift in your Will visit: gna.as/leavealegacy

About GNAAS

• The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) is a charitably funded air ambulance service which provides life-saving care throughout the North East, North Yorkshire, Cumbria and Isle of Man.
  
• They operate two helicopters 365 days a year and also operate a night-time service in the North East and Cumbria on rapid response vehicles.
  
  
• The aircraft cover an area of more than 8,000 square miles and on board are specialist doctors and paramedics who effectively bring the hospital to the patient.
  
  
• The level of skill and expertise of the on-board team mean they respond to the most critically ill and injured people, giving them the best chance of survival.
  
  
• GNAAS is a progressive organisation which has pioneered pre-hospital care in the region.
  
• The latest techniques, equipment and drugs are constantly being evaluated to ensure the charity can provide the best care possible for their patients.
  
  
• 2022 marked the service providing 20 years of life-saving care. Throughout this time, they have responded to more than 23,500 incidents across the region, with road traffic collisions being the most frequent type of incident responded to by the team.
  
  
• They do not receive Government funding and must therefore raise £8.5m a year through public donations to remain operational.

For more information visit: https://www.greatnorthairambulance.co.uk/ or follow @gnairambulance on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok

For press enquiries please email media@gnaas.com or call 07554453494