Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust (EHAAT) has announced the launch of a new partnership and sponsorship agreement with Anglia Ruskin University.

The new partnership was launched with Anglia Ruskin hosting the charity's Christmas Clinical Governance Day on Tuesday, 16th December, which was attended by clinical representatives from EHAAT, East of England Ambulance Service Trust and military and local hospitals, who were joined by ninety-five students from the medical faculty at the university.

The event was a special addition to the monthly Clinical Governance Day calendar which traditionally take place at North Weald Airfield, home of the Herts Air Ambulance. The day consisted of a range of lectures and case reviews, including a presentation by guest speaker Flight Sergeant Haz Hunter, RAF Wattisham Sea King Ops.

Professor James Hampton-Till, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Medical Science, said: "We were delighted to welcome the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance Trust to Chelmsford for an extremely informative day. Our students will benefit from this partnership by gaining real-life experience through closer working with EHAAT, with the ultimate aim of training the medical team of the future".

Anglia Ruskin will also be hosting the EHAAT Aeromedical Conference on Wednesday, 10th June, 2015, which will welcome delegates from across the UK and a host of nationally and internationally acclaimed speakers presenting a variety of topics around the theme of 'HEMS* - not just Trauma' in the pre-hospital arena.

As well as venue sponsor for the recent Christmas CGD and Aeromedical Conference in 2015, Anglia Ruskin have also come on board as candidate sponsor for a brand new fundraising initiative, Entrepreneur's Challenge. The concept is to find five budding local entrepreneurs who are keen to prove they have what it takes to turn £500.00 into £5,000.00 and Anglia Ruskin will mentor their chosen candidate to help them successfully complete the challenge.

Wendy Marcon-Knightley, Sponsorship & Events Manager at Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust, said: "We are delighted to launch a brand new partnership with Anglia Ruskin University, which includes a variety of features and mutual benefits including sponsorship of our clinical events. We are very keen to develop new links with local businesses and by partnering with us and becoming a sponsor businesses can have an association with a refreshing and life-saving brand. There are many options available and we can tailor a package to suit their individual commercial needs".

The partnership will also see the Senior Clinical Team at EHAAT work closely with the Faculty of Medical Science at Anglia Ruskin in delivering a training programme for students on the recently introduced BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science Degree Course. David Brown, former HEMS Paramedic for the charity, and now Senior Lecturer on the Paramedic programme at Anglia Ruskin, is working with EHAAT to offer trauma training from its highly skilled clinicians and the opportunity to take up observer shifts on the aircraft to learn more about the day to day work of the HEMS team.

Stuart Elms, Clinical Director at Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust, added: "Both myself and the clinical team are overjoyed to be able to develop this close working relationship with Anglia Ruskin. The facilities that Anglia Ruskin have set in place for their paramedic and medical training are second to none, and it is a wonderful opportunity for us to be able to work with both the Anglia Ruskin faculty and the paramedics and clinicians of tomorrow".

"To be able to share our experience, governance processes and the wider learning from our Aeromedical Conference is indeed a privilege, as is the benefit to current and future EHAAT clinical teams from being able to make use of these amazing facilities. I wish to thank the Anglia Ruskin faculty, leads and students for the amazing reception for this first event".

* HEMS = Helicopter Emergency Medical Service