Carson McDowell donates £16,000 to Air Ambulance Northern Ireland.

Carson McDowell's Managing Partner Roger McMillan, alongside Catherine Carton, Partner and members of the firm's CSR committee, were delighted to present a cheque for £16,000 to Air Ambulance Northern Ireland (AANI).

In 2023 Carson McDowell, Northern Ireland's largest independent law firm, was a proud charity partner of Air Ambulance NI, which works in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service to provide emergency and lifesaving helicopter medical services to the region.

Throughout the year the law firm's employees organised and participated in various initiatives to raise funds for the charity, including abseiling down Belfast Castle, running the Belfast City Marathon, a bake sale, a Halloween Zumbathon, Movember, prize draws and a Christmas carol service at Belfast City Hall.

Roger McMillan, Managing Partner at Carson McDowell, said,

"Thank you to our employees for their hard work and determination in supporting Air Ambulance NI over this last year. I also extend our thanks on behalf of the entire firm to our clients and contacts who consistently support our fundraising efforts and events and are hugely generous. This is a terrific amount of money raised for a great charity. I especially want to mention our fantastic CSR committee, who keep us engaged and focused on our charity partnership all year round; they even convinced me to abseil down Belfast Castle!"

Every year Carson McDowell raises money for a local charity and has embraced previous partnerships with worthy causes such as Belfast Samaritans, Cancer Fund for Children, Child Brain Injury Trust and PIPS.

Catherine Carton, Partner and Chair of the firm's CSR committee, added,

"We have thoroughly enjoyed working with Air Ambulance NI as our charity partner. They engaged with us over the course of the full year, cheering us on across the Belfast Marathon finish line, taking part in our Zumbathon and popping into the office to join us at our various coffee mornings. Severe or life-threatening situations can happen to anyone at any time. The team at Air Ambulance NI does an amazing job and fundraising is vital for the organisation to continue to deliver this crucial service.

I would also to extend a huge thanks to the CSR committee at Carson McDowell. Their innovation and hard work over the last 12 months has allowed the firm to deliver some really fresh fundraising initiatives and surpass our fundraising target."

The AANI helicopter crew attends some of the most traumatic medical incidents across the province. It is dedicated to delivering the best possible pre-hospital critical care, both at the scene and whilst transferring patients to the most appropriate hospital for their injuries.

Colleen Milligan, Business Development Project Manager at Air Ambulance NI, commented on the partnership:

“We were absolutely delighted to get the call last year from Carson McDowell to let us know that we were going to be supported by their staff in 2023. They have been such a fun and engaging partner to work with. Not only did they fundraise and get involved in events, but their staff were there to share skills and expertise, which greatly benefitted our young charity team- a true partnership. Carson McDowell’s fundraising achievements have greatly contributed to supporting our overall mission of saving lives, brains and limbs of individuals who have been involved in a serious trauma or medical incident. We want to thank all those at Carson McDowell who have contributed, donated, and actively raised awareness throughout the duration of this meaningful partnership.”

The decision to partner with Air Ambulance NI resulted from a nomination and voting process by employees at Carson McDowell. The firm adopts this approach to ensure the charity partner is the choice of employees. This year, the firm's employees have chosen to support the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust.

(Pictured left to right: Roger McMillan, Managing Partner, Rachel Toner, Senior Associate, Rachael McAdorery, Senior Associate, James O'Callaghan, HEMS Paramedic, Catherine Carton, Partner, Susan Currie, Legal Secretary and Colleen Milligan, Business Development Project Manager at Air Ambulance NI.