Can you outrun an ambulance?

The East of England Ambulance Charity has launched a great way for people to focus on their health and wellbeing by fundraising to support the ambulance service. ‘Outrun an Ambulance’ is a virtual challenge inviting people to conquer the mileage an ambulance covers on an average shift while responding to people in urgent need.

The challenge is designed to suit all people and all abilities. People can choose the distance they want to do based on the mileage clocked-up by crews during the course of a typical shift. Fundraisers can choose their timeframe, up to a maximum of three months to ‘outrun’ the distance by at least one mile, either individually or as part of a team. If you do not want to run, you can walk, swim, scoot, hand-cycle, or ride anything that is self-propelled!

One of our incredible fundraisers is Shay Bell, from Huntingdon. Shay, who is fourteen and has ADHD and learning disabilities, is walking 37 steps a day with his frame and has already raised over £700 for the charity.

Shay’s Mum, Sianade Bell, said: “Shay absolutely loves ambulances and when we found out about the ‘Outrun an Ambulance’ challenge, we thought we could use this opportunity to raise money while also enabling Shay to spend less time in his wheelchair and more time using his walking frame. 

“37 steps is the longest Shay has been able to walk and it is a huge challenge for him. Shay has really embraced this challenge and feels a great sense of achievement after every day that he has completed. His physiotherapist is delighted with his achievements, too. We are so excited and proud that he has raised over £700 so far.”

For more information and to set-up a personal fundraising page for the ‘Outrun an Ambulance’ challenge visit our JustGiving page here. 

Funds raised for East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust Charitable Funds will help to provide enhanced facilities and wellbeing support for our East of England Ambulance Service staff and volunteers.

Kate Lott, Head of Charity, said “Our staff and volunteers really do go the extra mile to support communities in the east of England region. They have worked tirelessly during these challenging times and ‘Outrun an Ambulance’ is fantastic opportunity for supporters to go the extra mile, recognising the exceptional work our staff and volunteers do every day.”

‘Outrun an Ambulance’ was first launched in 2021 by the South Western Ambulance Charity and generated over £10,000 of vital donations. The concept was originally conceived by Emergency Care Assistant Shannon Witts while shielding during the pandemic. She and her family rose to the challenge in 2021, outrunning the total mileage of 196 for three ambulance stations in the Gloucestershire area, raising over £600 for the South Western Ambulance Charity. 

The East of England Ambulance Charity is one of six regional NHS ambulance charities joining together to deliver the ‘Outrun an Ambulance’ challenge which are the South Western Ambulance Charity, London Ambulance Charity, North West Ambulance Charity, South Central Ambulance Charity and Yorkshire Ambulance Charity.

As participants prepare for their challenge, we recommended speaking to their GP first if they have not exercised for some time or have any medical conditions or concerns. For further guidance visit www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise We also recommend people stick to well-lit areas if exercising outdoors after dark.

For more information and to set-up a personal fundraising page visit the Outrun and Ambulance website. Fundraisers can choose the area they want to support and discover the mileage target options for their own fundraising challenge.

For updates and to share experiences of doing the challenge visit the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust Twitter page @EastEnglandAmb and use the hashtag #icanoutrunanambulance