We’re KSS, your local air ambulance charity, saving lives across Kent, Surrey, and Sussex when every second counts. Every day, our helicopters bring the emergency room to the scene fast, delivering advanced pre-hospital care to those who suddenly become injured or critically ill. The world is unpredictable. Medical emergencies can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time – changing lives in an instant. That’s why, for 35 years, we’ve been dedicated to saving lives. Powered by a diverse and highly skilled team including doctors, paramedics, dispatchers, and pilots, we are relentless in our mission to create a future where no one loses their life to a preventable medical emergency. We treat an average of nine people every day, performing advanced procedures such as open-heart surgery, blood transfusions, and emergency anaesthetic at the scene. But we can’t do it without you. It costs £57k a day – £20.8m a year – to keep our service running, with 91% of our regular income from public donations. Your support keeps us flying, saving lives, and making a lasting difference in our communities.
Together, we can be there when every second counts.
“We are incredibly proud to have been supported by the Five Church Walk since 2006 and extremely grateful to everyone who takes part each year to raise money for KSS.
Thank you so much to everyone involved with The Five Church Walk for raising to date just over £14,500. This will go a long way to making sure our crew are there for people who are experiencing their worst possible day, helping us save more lives across Kent Surrey and Sussex.”
– Francesca Vale, Senior Kent Community Fundraiser
Pilgrim Hospices has a simple vision: of a community where people with a life limiting illness, and their family and friends, are supported and empowered to live well in mind and body until the very last moment of their life.
The charity puts patients and families at the heart of everything it does, providing expert and compassionate care where and when it’s needed – whether that’s in people’s homes, in the community, or within one of its three hospices in east Kent. Pilgrims works to ensure equal access to care for all who need it and focuses on early support to help people live as well as possible for as long as possible.
By taking part and raising funds as part of your Five Church Walk, you are helping Pilgrims Hospices support local families when they need it most. Every step you take and every pound you raise makes a real difference to people receiving end-of-life care across east Kent.
Families like Lucie’s have experienced first-hand the difference that Pilgrims’ care can make. When her husband Grayham needed end-of-life support, the hospice team provided expert care, comfort and dignity in his final days.
“The service we received from Pilgrims was outstanding from the minute we arrived. They make what is not an easy time easier by simply knowing exactly what to do and when, keeping you informed each step of the way, and lifting your spirits during their regular check-ins. I honestly don’t know what we would have done or how we would have coped without the help of Pilgrims, but one thing is for sure – without them, Grayham’s wish of going peacefully would not have been fulfilled.”
Inspired by the care Grayham received, Lucie went on to raise over £2,700, which is enough to fund all the medication at all three of Pilgrims’ inpatient units for ten whole days!
By fundraising for Pilgrims Hospices through the Five Church Walk, you can help ensure this vital care continues for other local families. Every £25 raised could pay for an hour of specialist nursing care, providing comfort, dignity and support to patients and their loved ones when it matters most.
Choosing to support Pilgrims Hospices means helping local people live well in every moment, and ensuring that no one has to face the end of life alone. Are you ready to go the extra mile for Pilgrims Hospices?
