Sun, Dec 10, 2023
Awards Recognize Faithful Friends and Hard Workers
The RAF Red Arrows presented a quadruplet of awards for the benefit of UK flying charity Aerobility at the annual Aviators Ball.
The squadron leader of the team, Red 1, (or Jon Bond when he's out of the seat) helped to punctuate the importance of those who've helped the charity in its mission to make aviation accessible to all.
The Pooley’s Aviator Sword was awarded to Mike McClelland, one of the group's students and volunteers that obtained his PPL just this year. McClelland was medically discharged from the Royal Air Force in 2018 after suffering the aftereffects of an undiagnosed slipped disk 15 years earlier.
The second to be honored was the Blades Aerobatic Team, founded by 2Excel Aviation. CEO Andy Offer, OBE accepted the Special Recognition Award on behalf of the lot. Offer co-founded 2Excel Aviation and the Blades Aerobatic Team after retiring from the Royal Air Force. Since then, the firm has "supported Aerobility by providing auction prizes, raising funds" and participating in a range of charity projects. The Special Recognition Award recognises its commitment and support for Aerobility since 2009.
Third up was the Gallagher Fundraiser of the Year award, this time given to wheelchair motocross athlete Tom Woods and his coach Ben Adshead. The duo have been competing in 10k races across the United Kingdom in an effort to meet an "ambitious" fundraising goal.
Finally, the Gallagher Volunteer of the Year award went to Emrys Harries, who carries a diagnosis of Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. Undaunted by its associated struggles, Harries has been "heavily involved with the charity" for almost 2 decades, recently retiring from his role as Secretary of the Board Of Trustees. The award recognises Emrys for his long-running contributions to Aerobility - including being the one who came up with the charity's name in the first place.
“Everyone at Aerobility is delighted to celebrate the incredible support we receive every day," said Aerobility CEO Mike Miller-Smith. "We are so glad that these outstanding individuals are getting the recognition they deserve within the Aerobility network and beyond.”
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