Construction of a new site at Semington for UK charity Wiltshire Air Ambulance (WAA) is well under way and is due to be completed in spring 2018. The charity has received a donation of £2.5 million from a benefactor and £1 million from the LIBOR fund; £850,000 still needs to be raised.

Paralympic swimming champion Stephanie Millward MBE, who has become an ambassador for the organisation in a bid to boost fundraising, recently visited the site located to the east of Bath at Outmarsh Farm to see its progress.

She says: “The facility will be incredible and will benefit the whole county. It will enable the charity to continue its lifesaving work and help more people in the future. WAA is a charity that is close to my heart and I'm so proud to be an ambassador for it.

“The charity needs the public's help to complete the fundraising. Every single penny counts and if people put their hearts into it and raise the money needed by the end of this year, what a Christmas present it would be for the county.”

Millward has won 10 Paralympic medals, including two golds. She is also a multiple World and European Para Swimming champion.

Head of operations Kevin Reed comments: “We're so grateful to Stephanie for supporting us. What she has achieved is inspirational and, as a resident of Wiltshire, she understands the importance of the service we provide.

“We've had a really good response to our airbase appeal from individuals, community groups, schools and businesses, but we still need to raise the remaining funds needed to complete the building and equipping of the new airbase. If you would like to donate you can find out more by going to our web site.”