SHOPPERS and staff at a farm shop near Wellington raised £5,500 for Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance in 2025 and hope to collect even more this year.

Rumwell Farm Shop named Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA) as its 2025 charity of the year and, with the help of its customers, raised money for the organisation through quizzes and various fundraising days.

Sophie Mitchell, farm shop partner, said: “We’re so delighted to have raised so much with the help of our teams and customers and to have recently presented DSAA with our cheque for £5,500.

“Throughout 2025, we held some fundraising days and quizzes. So far this year, we’ve hosted a January quiz and have many more organised for the rest of the year, including a spring one in April and a new Christmas theme one in November.

“We will also be giving a donation from every sale of sherbet lemons and lemon doughnuts in 2026. Coming up next is a charity day during the Easter school holidays on April 9 when staff from DSAA will be onsite. We’ve a few fun ideas planned for that one and we’ll be revealing more nearer the time.”

From April 2024 to March 2025, DSAA were tasked with nearly 3,000 missions to assist patients, some of who were critically ill or injured.

But as demand for service increases, so does the costs.

The charity say they recognise that 10 per cent more patients require assistance but can not be reached due to aircraft unavailability.

Moreover, there is no pre-hospital critical care in Dorset and Somerset between 2 am and 7am.

A total of £30-million from the charity’s reserves has been allocated to fund the purchase and fit out of a second helicopter, the redevelopment of DSAA’s operational base and key modernisation projects.

These commitments will also ensure the charity is able to retain financial security while preparing for potential 24-hour operations in the future, given the ongoing additional cost that would entail.

Charlotte Humber, supporter engagement officer for Somerset DSAA, said: “We’re so grateful for this brilliant £5,500 donation from Rumwell Farm Shop and its customers. The care we provide is only made possible because of the generosity of the public. Every mission is funded by donations. Without this support, our service wouldn’t exist.

“It was wonderful to have been selected by Rumwell Farm Shop as their Charity of the Year for 2025 and even more amazing that they are sticking with us for another 12 months. The designated money from our reserves is not expected to cover the full costs needed for all our development plans and we will need further public fundraising alongside these investments.

“With operational costs continuing to rise, we’re looking to grow our income streams while engaging with the public on the various ways their support can make a difference. Therefore, our ongoing partnership with Rumwell Farm Shop represents a great opportunity for us to raise some of these vital funds, while also generating awareness of the lifesaving work that we do.”