Ireland Air Ambulance

[Tony Baloney]

You know you are in Ireland when this sort of thing passes with little comment.

Who are these f**kers that got away with creaming 700k from the public, with no helicopter in sight?!

[flantheman82]

Can you elaborate tony?
Has it been in the news again?

[ardmhachaabu]

People like this should do big time

[Cde]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/8101574.stm

[Minder]

Since Tony Baloney hasnt the decency to post a link..... Unfortunately charity these days is not "charity" but big business, i rarely give to them because of shite like this.


NI air ambulance charity "grounded"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8623970.stm

An air ambulance charity that collected more than £750,000 has been wound up without ever landing a helicopter.

It said it is reforming in another guise with new personnel and will continue to raise money.

The chief executive of the Charities Commission has welcomed the move.

Last year, a BBC investigation revealed that 90% of the money collected by the Ireland Air Ambulance Charity in its first year went on wages and overheads.

Its recent accounts show it has only £65,000 left out of almost £700,000 collected over the past two years.

It now says that the association known as Ireland Air Ambulance has been dissolved.

The existing trustees and some of the staff have been stood down and a new company has been formed which will retain the old name.

The chief executive of the Charities Commission, Frances McCandless, said the charity has changed from being an unincorporated organisation to being a company limited by guarantee, which she said is "a good thing."

"It means the organisation submits details of its directors and accounts to Companies House and they are available for public scrutiny.

"We have met over the past few months with Ireland Air Ambulance following concerns that had been raised by the media.

"We have given them advice and we have pointed out what would be best practice."

Dissolution

In the 12 months up until 2009, the accounts show the organisation raised £479,000, and spent £387,265 most of it on what are described as "charitable purposes." Most of this expenditure went on staff and fundraising.

Nick Taylor, a business advisor for the newly constituted charity said the association known as the Ireland Air Ambulance has gone through the formal process of dissolution.

Its existing trustees, director, and some employees have all stood down, he said.

According to Mr Taylor, the charity is now being run by a new board of eight directors drawn from the business community who want to move the aims of the charity forward.

A new interim chief executive has been appointed.

He said all the assets of the IAA will be transferred to a new company which will retain the name Ireland Air Ambulance.

He said he is unable to say how much this is likely to be, but it is thought its could be less than £65,000 pounds - a small fraction of the total money raised.

[illdecide]

You know you are in Ireland when this sort of thing passes with little comment.

Who are these f**kers that got away with creaming 700k from the public, with no helicopter in sight?!

Just seen that Tony and from the £700k lifted from the public £640k was used for wages and administration and left £60k to spend on a helicopter

It would certainly put me off giving money to any charity when you see the small % that actually reaches it's intended target...there's always some fat bas***d creaming it

[Tony Baloney]

How do people get away with this though? Answers on a postcard please.

[down6061689194]

No small operation either. Think we had a tub in the pub.

[illdecide]

As far as I'm concerned the money given to charities is creamed by cnuts, i can remember the time of the Tsunami there was controversy over the money given to it and it was millions upon millions can't remember the exact nature of it but all i know is only about 30 - 40% of the money arrived.

At least if you give a beggar in the street a £5er he gets to spend all of it

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

I know that a lot of people from Dromintee put in a lot of effort to raise money for this charity in memory of a club member of theirs who was killed in a car accident a few years back (I apologise, his name escapes me). Corn02 did a fair bit of advertising for the charity match on this board. I remember the family being very upset after the initial news broke.

Though I don't think its fair to judge all charities by this debacle.

[Lecale2]

We live and learn.

[ziggysego]

You know you are in Ireland when this sort of thing passes with little comment.

Who are these f**kers that got away with creaming 700k from the public, with no helicopter in sight?!

It was talked to in great deal last year. Good to see they've been dissolved and the money will be transferred to a new charity set up in it's place.

[mountainboii]

I know that a lot of people from Dromintee put in a lot of effort to raise money for this charity in memory of a club member of theirs who was killed in a car accident a few years back (I apologise, his name escapes me). Corn02 did a fair bit of advertising for the charity match on this board. I remember the family being very upset after the initial news broke.

Though I don't think its fair to judge all charities by this debacle.

http://gaaboard.com/board/index.php?topic=6497.msg570647#msg570647

[Tony Baloney]

You know you are in Ireland when this sort of thing passes with little comment.

Who are these f**kers that got away with creaming 700k from the public, with no helicopter in sight?!

It was talked to in great deal last year. Good to see they've been dissolved and the money will be transferred to a new charity set up in it's place.

What shite are you talking? There is apparenly only 60 grand left of 750 so it's hardly "good".

[mylestheslasher]

Anyone giving to a charity should do some research into that charity prior to handing over cash. I read somewhere that some of these "charities" that collect clothing at clothes banks sell the clothes, keep the money and then make a "donation" out of their profits to the needy. I used to give concern €30 a month but switched to world vision as a higher % of my donation made it to the end user. Its really worth looking at as some charities are only giving 30/40% of what they get to the poor, the rest goes on wages and overheads.