On 12th September, HRH The Princess Royal opened the new HQ for Magpas Air Ambulance, a lifesaving charity that has been working to build its new home for the past six years. The purpose-built airbase, headquarters and training centre in Alconbury Weald, Cambridgeshire will be home to its medically configured Leonardo AW169.

The location of the new airbase is situated closer to the region's major trunk roads, which will reduce vehicle dispatch times by up to 15 minutes, and the co-location of the charity's operations and support staff, who currently work across two sites, will be more efficient, reducing charity overheads and improving environmental impact.

HRH The Princess Royal became Magpas Air Ambulance's patron after she visited the charity's previous operations base in February 2020. In 2021, the charity's 50th year of operations, HRH launched the Future 50 Appeal aimed at raising the funding needed to complete the building and in February of this year, HRH unveiled a cornerstone to mark the ongoing development of the project.

This visit from The Princess Royal heralds the opening of the base and allows staff to begin the process of moving in its operations and lifesaving service.

Daryl Brown MBE DL, the charity's chief executive officer, says: “It was an honour to welcome our patron HRH The Princess Royal to the site of our new base at Alconbury Weald and show her around the building she's been so pivotal in helping us achieve. After she unveiled the plaque, which will become a treasured part of our building alongside the cornerstone, we were delighted to see her passion for the service we provide.

“It's incredibly exciting to see what has been a plan for a very long time, finally come to fruition. Magpas Air Ambulance has treated over 70,000 patients in the past 50 years, and this new building will be fundamental to our service going forward, saving thousands more lives and keeping families together for generations to come.”

To ensure it maximises renewable energy, the building has been designed with the approach of 'be lean, be clean and be green'. This is achieved through integrated design measures such as solar shading and natural ventilation through louvres, and PV panels on the roof.