London Ambulance Service Charitable Fund

The London Ambulance Service Charitable Fund, known as London Ambulance Charity, is the official NHS charity dedicated to supporting the UK's busiest ambulance service, the London Ambulance Service (LAS). Established to deliver enhancements beyond core government funding, its mission centers on saving more lives in London through three pillars: enhancing patient care, supporting staff and volunteer wellbeing, and building community resilience. Governed by the LAS NHS Trust board with strategic oversight from a charitable funds committee informed by staff, patients, and volunteers, it embodies a collaborative, impact-driven approach prioritizing measurable outcomes in emergency response, staff welfare, and public health.

It funds vital LAS-led initiatives such as Wellbeing Support Vehicles and cafes, mental/physical rest areas, staff hardship relief, CPR/defibrillator training via the flagship London Lifesaver programme (targeting schoolchildren and high-risk boroughs), public-access defibrillators, advanced responder training, and technology like iPads. Beneficiaries include LAS frontline staff, volunteers, and Greater London residents/visitors facing health emergencies, with a focus on survival rate improvements and Covid-19 recovery.

External charities and organizations are ineligible; it does not accept unsolicited applications or make grants to outsiders, restricting all funding to LAS-associated projects with no income/size rules or religious restrictions. Decisions occur via internal LAS committees aligned with annual planning, with typical internal grants ranging from £5,000 for small wellbeing efforts to £896,000 for major programmes like defibrillator expansions. Uniquely, as an NHS Charities Together member, it differentiates through direct operational integration, innovation in prevention/training, and strict Greater London focus, eschewing core/unrestricted external funding.