Young Doncaster duo win awards for raising thousands for Children’s Air Ambulance

Kristian Smith and Chloe Maxfield won top awards in The Air Ambulance Service Annual Showcase and Awards at The Vox in Birmingham on September 17.

The Children’s Air Ambulance based in Doncaster flies critically ill babies and children in-between hospitals so that they can get the specialist treatment they urgently need as soon as possible.

Formed in 2012 and operated by The Air Ambulance Service, it receives no government funding and relies totally on public donations to remain operational.

Kristian 14 and Chloe 9 are keen members of #TheCrew – a children’s club linked to the Children’s Air Ambulance where children can learn about saving lives, helicopters, medicine, fundraising and how a charity works. The club offers advice and teaching on community work, volunteering, working as part of a team and supporting good causes which form part of many school curriculums.

Kristian, from Woodlands who is a year 10 pupil at XP East school, Middle Bank, won the 16 and under category in the #TheCrew.

He was inspired to begin his fundraising by his niece Chloe who had already been making money for the good cause.

He has autism which makes many parts of fundraising difficult for him.

Kristian has raised over £1300 by dedicating the last year to organising various fundraising events, such as a tombola and a raffle, running up and down the stairs 26 times and selling books, clothes and toys throughout the lockdown.

He also supported the Santa's Grotto at the Hanger superstore promoting #TheCrew.

Chloe who won the 10 and under category has raised just over £4,600 so far.

She has done this by organising raffles and tombolas and Green Day at school (non uniform at Travis St Lawrence School). Other fundraising ideas included raffling places on workshops with Sam's Safari and Mr Dan, making and selling activity packs, sweet cones and fidget toys and the 2.6 challenge (she did 26 challenges in one day).

Chloe also wrote to Direct Line Group and secured a donation from them for for £1500.

She also helps at the Hanger and supports #The Crew with promotion, recently made a video to be shared on their social media channels, helped the author of Motorways In The Sky with her research.

Kristian’s mum Susan Smith said: “I am really proud of both of them.

“Chloe has done absolutely loads of fundraising for the Children’s Air Ambulance which relies only on donations. She got involved with ‘The Crew’, which was set up by two daughters of pilots for the Children's Air Ambulance.

“It is where children can decide for themselves what they would like to do to raise funds for the Children's Air Ambulance and, with help, carry out their ideas.

“Kristian was impressed with Chloe's efforts and also as the charity is called The Crew he was interested because his school classes are called crews rather than classes.”

All the young winners were awarded with a BMX bike, generously donated by Halfords, for their brilliant efforts of raising money and awareness of the Children's Air Ambulance.

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