LODDISWELL Playing Fields is now a functioning site for the Devon Air Ambulance to land in at night, thanks to the generosity of the local community.

Toby Russell, community helipads development officer for the Devon Air Ambulance Trust, arrived at the playing fields on Monday night to demonstrate the light switch on and explain how the system worked.

Members of the parish council, the Loddiswell Playing Fields Trust and representatives from the Loddiswell Inn, who used their weekly draw to raise funds for the site, gathered at the playing fields to meet Toby and see the lights switched on.

They also handed over a cheque for a £2,100 donation to the DAAT, raised through the weekly draw at the pub and some Loddiswell residents who asked for donations to the charity for their birthdays.

Emma Hemmins, chair of the Loddiswell Parish Council, said: ‘We were approached by DAAT to try and find somewhere, and we snapped up the opportunity, a potentially life saving opportunity for any one of us and any time.

‘The Loddiswell Playing Fields Trust agreed with us and came up with the land, everyone was in agreement, but to come up with this there has been a massive fundraising effort behind the scenes. The Loddiswell Inn, thank you to the landlady H who allowed their weekly draw, a raffle they hold every week, to raise a lot of money, in addition to what was needed for the site.

‘And in addition to all of this, all of us would like to say a massive thank you to Andy Keen for the relentless hours you’ve given for nothing.

Toby said: ‘These projects are really great examples of community effort, from the land owners to the people who help to fund it. This is a great example of what can happen when a community pulls together.

‘The Devon Air Ambulance would like to thank the Loddiswell Playing Fields Trust, Loddiswell Parish Council and the numerous local people who have helped establish a community landing site for the village.

‘Having only finalised the lighting system requirements in June, the community has managed to raise the funds required and with support from local electrician Andy Keen get the new LED lights in place by November when we will start flying until midnight every day. That really is a fantastic community effort.

‘However, that achievement is made all the more impressive by the fact a further £2,100 has been donated to Devon Air Ambulance representing funds that were raised over and above those needed for the night landing site. We would like to extend a sincere thanks to the whole community for their huge support.’

If you would like to find out more about the Devon Air Ambulance Trust, visit the website: www.daat.org, the Loddiswell Parish Council: www.loddiswell.org.uk and you can find the Loddiswell Inn on Facebook.