‘Heave ho’ heroes raise £20,000 in 13-tonne truck pull

Supporters of the London Ambulance Charity threw their weight behind a recent fundraising event, pulling a 13-tonne truck for a staggering two miles.

The Bexleyheath Uniformed Services Day Truck Pull is an annual fundraising event where teams of ambulance crews, police officers, firefighters and soldiers club together to tow giant trucks to raise funds for their charities.

The groups raised an impressive £20,000, which will be split between four charities, including London Ambulance Charity.

Olivia Peters, Events and Community Fundraiser for London Ambulance Charity, said: “We are so proud of the team who persevered through 30-degree heat to pull the 13-tonne truck! It was so impressive to see – it was an incredible display of physical strength, sheer determination and team work.

“With their help, the money raised will help us support campaigns like London Lifesavers – which aims to make London a city of lifesavers by training as many people as possible in CPR.

“Every penny raised will go to a great cause, and so we would like to say a huge thank you to our brave truck pullers, and to every single person who so generously donated to it.

“The Bexleyheath Uniformed Services Day is a great day out with the family, and we hope to be there again next year with another gang of dedicated London Ambulance supporters.”

Our London Lifesavers team trained over 150 people from the local community in life saving skills on the day, demonstrating how to perform chest compressions and use a defibrillator when someone suffers a cardiac arrest.

The team behind the London Ambulance Service Historic Collection were also at the event, with an impressive exhibit of modern and historic ambulances, plus vehicles from the motorcycle and cycle response units.

Craig Henty, Head of the London Ambulance Service Historic Collection, said: “The day was very much a success for our truck-pull team, the historic collections team and our charity.

“All the members of the public I spoke to were pleased to see us out in the community – and it was great to meet Bexley Mayor Councillor Christine Catterall, who stopped by to see us.

“It’s so heart-warming to see that we are held in such high regard – we are pleased visitors had such an enjoyable day out and in doing so, raised a significant sum for our charity.”

Uniformed Services Day is a community-driven event dedicated to honouring the commitment and bravery of the emergency services, including paramedics, the military, police and fire service.

Organised in collaboration between The Welling Town Business Associates and Bexleyheath BID, this annual event brings together residents, businesses, and supporters to celebrate those who serve while raising vital funds for great causes.

If you would like to help support the London Ambulance Charity, why not take on a fundraising challenge? Join the London to Brighton Cycle Ride on 14 September and the next London Life Hike on 27 September to raise money for this vital cause.