ESSEX & HERTS AIR AMBULANCE TRUST

Registered charity 1108989 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · Wikidata: Q5399635 · Wikipedia · also known as ESSEX AIR AMBULANCE FUND, ESSEX AIR AMBULANCE TRUST

To provide pre hospital care mainly with a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service, supported by rapid response vehicles.

Objects

To assist in relieving pain and sickness by the operation of a pre-hospital emergency medical service for the counties of Essex and Hertfordshire and surrounding areas. This service provided mainly by a helicopter emergency medical service with additional rapid response vehicles and to perform such other charitable purposes for the relief of pain and sickness consistent with the above object as the Trustees shall at their discretion determine.

Area of benefit: ESSEX AND HERTFORDHSIRE AND SURROUNDING AREAS

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Braintree, East of England, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£16.9m

Latest spending

£18.3m

Registered

2005

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported an operational deficit of £1.3m for the year ended 31 March 2025, driven by a £2.6m fall in income and increased aviation costs. Despite this, the trustees confirm that free reserves of £27.6m remain sufficient to fund 18 months of forecast expenditure, which is within their stated policy target of 12 to 24 months. The independent auditors confirmed that the financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis with no material uncertainties identified.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £130,001 - £140,000 — above the median for charities its size (£130k)

“In the band £130,001 - £140,000 1” — page 40

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Employees paid over £60,000: 10

“The number of employees whose employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) exceeded £60,000 was: Group 2025 No. In the band £60,001 - £70,000 6 In the band £90,001 - £100,000 1 In the band £100,001 - £110,000 1 In the band £120,001 - £130,000 1 In the band £130,001 - £140,000 1” — page 40

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Largest income source: Lottery (54% of income)

“Income from lottery - 9,167,616” — page 37

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Essex and Herts Air Ambulance Trading Limited (subsidiary) paid Gift Aid.

“During the year, the Trust received gift aid payments totalling £85,325 (2024 - £42,674) from Essex and Herts Air Ambulance Trading Limited. As at 31 March 2025, an amount was owed to the Trust of £282,282 (2024 - £537,582).” — page 52

“During the year, the Trust received gift aid payments totalling £7,670,531 (2024 - £7,910,620) from Essex and Herts Flight For Life Lottery Limited. As at 31 March 2025, an amount was owed to the Trust of £760,153 (2024 - £1,151,597).” — page 52

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Essex and Herts Flight For Life Lottery Limited (subsidiary) paid Gift Aid.

“During the year, the Trust received gift aid payments totalling £85,325 (2024 - £42,674) from Essex and Herts Air Ambulance Trading Limited. As at 31 March 2025, an amount was owed to the Trust of £282,282 (2024 - £537,582).” — page 52

“During the year, the Trust received gift aid payments totalling £7,670,531 (2024 - £7,910,620) from Essex and Herts Flight For Life Lottery Limited. As at 31 March 2025, an amount was owed to the Trust of £760,153 (2024 - £1,151,597).” — page 52

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Trading subsidiary: Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trading Limited

“The principal purpose of the first three subsidiaries is to operate weekly lotteries together with raffles and that of the fourth is to conduct the Charity's trading activities.” — page 9

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Crowe U.K. LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

In its annual return the charity told the Commission it is also regulated by: Care Quality Commission. This is the charity’s own declaration; it is not a rating and has not been verified by the Commission or by this site.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2025

Volunteers: 459
Government income: £2,250 — grants £2,250 (8); under 1% of the £16,902,746 total gross income on the same return
Employees paid over £60,000: 10 (£60,001–£70,000: 6; £90,001–£100,000: 1; £100,001–£110,000: 1; £120,001–£130,000: 1; £130,001–£140,000: 1)
Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2024

Volunteers: 445
Government income: £5,150 — grants £5,150 (12); under 1% of the £19,524,819 total gross income on the same return
Employees paid over £60,000: 7 (£60,001–£70,000: 4; £90,001–£100,000: 1; £100,001–£110,000: 1; £130,001–£140,000: 1)
Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2023

Volunteers: 433
Government income: £6,680 — grants £6,680 (13); under 1% of the £17,628,818 total gross income on the same return
Employees paid over £60,000: 6 (£70,001–£80,000: 3; £80,001–£90,000: 1; £90,001–£100,000: 1; £130,001–£140,000: 1)
Has a trading subsidiary

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

In the news

Recent coverage mentioning this charity by name (automated match; headlines belong to their publishers).

Essex Air Ambulance Trust to host charity dance event with celebrity guests maldonandburnhamstandard.co.uk · 24/11/2025
Cambridge Design Technology Helping to Promote Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust prweb.com · 08/02/2024
Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust takes to the road to help Covid-19 patients thanks to leading healthcare provider hemeltoday.co.uk · 28/05/2020

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 05397840

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (matched by registered charity number).

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

CLARK, Paul Jonathan — director, appointed 25/06/2026on trustee list
WILLIAMS, Alwen, Dame — director, appointed 24/09/2025on trustee list
MCHUGH, Tony — director, appointed 25/06/2025on trustee list
TENNENS, Michelle Ann — director, appointed 07/12/2022on trustee list
SMITH, Claire Louise — director, appointed 20/09/2018on trustee list
TUNNINGLEY, Andrew James — director, appointed 20/09/2018on trustee list
MARFLEET, Roy John — director, appointed 22/03/2018on trustee list
TROWER, Jonathan Charles Gosselin — director, appointed 06/09/2016on trustee list
HAYWARD, Darren Mark — director, appointed 28/07/2009on trustee list
CALDER, Clare — secretary, appointed 30/09/2025

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

10 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (0 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

CQC provider record: Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust — Registered, 3 registered locations, 4 regulated activities, last inspected 06/09/2022.charity number confirmed by CQC CQC record

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income

£16.9m

Total spending

£18.3m

Cost of raising funds

£6.2m

Reserves (reported)

£50.6m

Employees

93

Reported reserves equal ~33.2 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 36.6% of total income — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median 3.7%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (01/12/2021) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (30/11/2018) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (17/02/2017) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Andrew Tunningley
Claire Louise Smith
DARREN HAYWARD
Dame Alwen Williams · trustee of 1 other charity
Emily May Carter
JONATHAN CHARLES GOSSELIN TROWER · trustee of 2 other charities
Michelle Tennens
Paul Clark
ROY JOHN MARFLEET · trustee of 1 other charity
Tony McHugh

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Bedford · Cambridgeshire · Essex · Hertfordshire · Norfolk · Suffolk

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£16.9m	£18.3m
31/03/2024	£19.5m	£15.7m
31/03/2023	£17.6m	£14.0m
31/03/2022	£15.5m	£12.1m
31/03/2021	£17.5m	£11.3m

Common questions

Is ESSEX & HERTS AIR AMBULANCE TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported an operational deficit of £1.3m for the year ended 31 March 2025, driven by a £2.6m fall in income and increased aviation costs. Despite this, the trustees confirm that free reserves of £27.6m remain sufficient to fund 18 months of forecast expenditure, which is within their stated policy target of 12 to 24 months. The independent auditors confirmed that the financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis with no material uncertainties identified. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Crowe U.K. LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of ESSEX & HERTS AIR AMBULANCE TRUST earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £130,001 - £140,000 band, and 10 employees earned over £60,000.

Who funds ESSEX & HERTS AIR AMBULANCE TRUST?

Funders whose own accounts filings name ESSEX & HERTS AIR AMBULANCE TRUST as a grant recipient include GRUMPY GIVERS, THE ORR MACKINTOSH FOUNDATION LIMITED, THE VALIANT CHARITABLE TRUST, ROCKCLIFFE CHARITABLE TRUST, THE HOBSON CHARITY LIMITED.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
GRUMPY GIVERS	FY2023	£13k
THE ORR MACKINTOSH FOUNDATION LIMITED	FY2025	£10k
THE VALIANT CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£5k	providing emergency medical care with the air ambulance
ROCKCLIFFE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£1k
THE HOBSON CHARITY LIMITED	FY2022	£810	Rescue

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
THE ASTOR FOUNDATION	2	£12k
MILLS AND REEVE CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£10k
THE GEOFF & FIONA SQUIRE FOUNDATION	2	£7k
ASSOCIATION OF NHS CHARITIES	1	£564k
THE THOMPSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£475k
THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATION	1	£195k
COUNTY AIR AMBULANCE TRUST	1	£160k
THE BARRY AND PEGGY HIGH FOUNDATION	1	£100k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with EAST ANGLIAN AIR AMBULANCE.

EAST ANGLIAN AIR AMBULANCE income £18.8m
ASSOCIATION OF AIR AMBULANCES (CHARITY) LTD income £2.0m
LONDON'S AIR AMBULANCE LIMITED income £26.0m
AIR SAFETY TRUST income £35k
WILTSHIRE AND BATH AIR AMBULANCE CHARITY income £4.8m
EAST OF ENGLAND AMBULANCE SERVICE NHS TRUST CHARITABLE FUNDS income £329k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
ESSEX & HERTS AIR AMBULANCE TRUST	£16.9m	£130,001 - £140,000	10	unclear	—	no doubt
EAST ANGLIAN AIR AMBULANCE FY2025	£18.8m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
ASSOCIATION OF AIR AMBULANCES (CHARITY) LTD FY2025	£2.0m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
LONDON'S AIR AMBULANCE LIMITED FY2025	£26.0m	£200,000 - £210,000	—	above	—	no doubt
AIR SAFETY TRUST FY2025	£35k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
WILTSHIRE AND BATH AIR AMBULANCE CHARITY FY2025	£4.8m	£90,001 - £100,000	—	within	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.