THANKS to the generosity and help of its Community Association, Yeoford is another of the 150 towns and villages in Devon where a Devon Air Ambulance can land at night.

Half of the £5,531 for the light and other work was met by Devon Air Ambulance Trust, part by local Devon County Council member Nick Way from the Locality Fund, the remainder by a local donation with Yeoford Community Association, which runs the hall and playing field and Crediton Hamlets Parish Council, each putting in £683.

Parish Council member John Stevens said that if it was not for the Community Association providing the ground and paying for the insurance, electricity etc this would not have happened. The parish council dealt with and paid for the planning permission needed from Mid Devon District Council.

David Lucking, treasurer of the Community Association, explained that it decided it would be a good idea to have the light and to ask the parish council for help in getting it done.

He added that, so long as it was not a nuisance to neighbours, it meant that if people wanted to have football training at night, it could now be possible.

Toby Russell, DAAT Community Landing Sites Development Officer, said: “It’s great news that the Yeoford community landing site is now operational and we can land in the heart of the community to deliver enhanced and critical care ‘during the hours of darkness’.

“We’d like to extend a big thank-you to the people and organisations who have made this possible – the Yeoford Community Association for enabling new lighting to be installed so that we can use its playing field for night operations and Crediton Hamlets Parish Council and Cllr Nick Way for supporting and contributing essential funds towards the project.

“There are now 150 community landing sites in operation across Devon which is a significant milestone in the project, and the launch of the site in Yeoford comes at a time when Devon Air Ambulance is now back to full night operations, until 2am every day, after a phased re-introduction of the service following the challenges placed on us by Coronavirus.”

Other local sites operational include Crediton at the Football Club ground, Witheridge, Chawleigh, Chulmleigh, Lapford, Winkleigh, North Tawton, Bow, Spreyton, South Zeal, Okehampton, Pathfinder Village near Tedburn St Mary, Newton St Cyres Recreation Ground, Silverton, Cheriton Fitzpaine, Morchard Bishop and Chagford with Drewsteignton in progress.

It is 28 years ago that DAAT launched its first red helicopter and one of its first emergency calls was to Crediton, landing on the QES quad which has now been built on.

This March the charity introduced two Rapid Response Critical Care Cars to its fleet of vehicles. The service is funded by the generosity of the community, businesses and friends of Devon.

Last year the two red helicopters helped 985 patients, of whom 10 per cent were children.

Last year the Exeter-based aircraft was called to 139 patients in the hours of darkness using the growing network of Community Landing Sites such as Yeoford’s.

There was a feature on the 150th landing site broadcast by BBC Radio Devon on Saturday, June 20 which included the launch of Newton Ferrers site.

More about the service and a map of the night landing sites can be found on the DAAT website: www.daat.org .