On Friday 14 July, renowned Bristol illustrator, Andy Council, completed his spray-painted mural of Great Western Air Ambulance Charity's (GWAAC) helicopter at the entrance to its airbase in Almondsbury.

Andy, who is best known for the Bristol Dinosaur illustration, spent three days completing the mural which incorporates famous landmarks across the region that GWAAC serves. It is hoped that the artwork will help create a more inviting and safer-feeling space for patients and their families visiting the GWAAC airbase.

The charity's airbase is often the first time that patients or their family members reconnect with GWAAC following its Critical Care Team rushing to the scene of their incident. Given the nature of the life-threatening incidents that GWAAC responds to, the visits are emotive and can trigger memories of the event and the following days and weeks. GWAAC wants to make the reconnection process as easy and as friendly as possible.

Andy's mural will also create a friendlier space for all visitors to GWAAC's airbase from the moment they arrive, and it will help improve the visibility of the charity for passers-by.

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"GWAAC gives everyone in its community the best chance on their worst day by taking the skills and equipment found in a hospital emergency department to the scene of the most serious medical emergencies. We save lives that would otherwise be lost and where lives can't be saved, we give families the knowledge that everything that could have been done, was done. We are immensely proud of what we do, but however skilled our crew is everything we do is only possible through the community we serve, supporting us. We want our supporters who drive past the entrance or into our airbase to feel connected and proud of what they're doing."

Joe Hughes, Strategic Partnerships Manager, Great Western Air Ambulance Charity

More than a mural

Andy Council takes architectural and landscape elements to create an image and a story. GWAAC's mural is in Andy's trademark style, combining iconic features from across GWAAC's operating area of Bristol, Gloucestershire, Bath, and beyond, with an image of the air ambulance. See how many landmarks you can spot!

The mural reflects how the contributions of GWAAC's whole community create and maintain the service that GWAAC's crews provide every single day.

And you can now purchase your own version of the mural in the form of a print from the GWAAC website. There are three different prints to choose from; two designs are limited-edition and one is an open-edition print. Every penny raised will go toward funding GWAAC's lifesaving missions. On average each mission costs the charity around £2,000 to attend.

"Working on the mural was interesting on lots of different levels. I'm pleased that I've managed to capture all the main landmarks within GWAAC's region and combining them with the structure of a helicopter has been a different direction for my artwork. I also really valued my tour of the airbase and learning about the amazing work they do – my children have been inspired too!"

Andy Council, Bristol Illustrator

Cycle proud with an Andy Council artwork on your back

For cycling enthusiasts, there is an opportunity to get your hands on a limited-edition Andy Council X GWAAC Grand Tour Cycle Jersey.

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Specialist Paramedic in Critical Care Matt models GWAAC cycle jersey

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Paramedic Tom modelling the GWAAC cycle jersey

Made from 100% recycled material, these technical jerseys have been made by the world's first climate-positive sportswear brand, Presca Sportswear, now part of the Long Run Club.

The Andy Council X GWAAC Grand Tour Cycle Jersey tops are perfect for a cycling event. For cyclists wanting to tick an iconic cycling challenge off their bucket list, there's the London to Paris Cycle in 2024 which, if you're feeling inspired, can be done to raise funds for GWAAC!

But with only 100 Andy Council X GWAAC Grand Tour Cycle Jerseys currently available, you'll need to move fast to snap one up — buy online from the GWAAC website. Not only will your purchase help support your local air ambulance charity, but the Bristol-designed jerseys have been made from recycled fabrics using sustainably powered European factories by The Long Run Club team.

"GWAAC plays such an important role in the lives of Bristolians, and in the regions it covers, but especially for our community of cyclists and runners who unfortunately may have more need to call on their services in times of incidents when out and about. We are delighted to have worked with the team and can't wait to see many of these fantastic jerseys being used in Bristol and beyond."

 Lily Rice, Designer, The Long Run Club

A collaborative affair

To celebrate the completion of Andy's mural and to say thank you to the businesses and mini army of volunteers and supporters who made the mural, prints, and cycle jerseys possible, GWAAC held a Spray Day celebration event on Friday 14 July. Around twenty guests were treated to a beautiful BBQ by Jay from Bristol's Clifton Chilli Club while watching Andy put the finishing touches on his six-metre mural.

The guests networked with local businesses and raised a glass to the volunteers from RAC who cleared the grounds and scrubbed and prepped the building wall at the entrance to the airbase ready for the mural.

"The idea of being able to help out and let others in the local community be more aware of the charity and feel more welcome was appealing to me and I was delighted to volunteer."

Ollie, Volunteer, RAC

The collaboration was a real community effort, the results of which will benefit GWAAC's patients and supporters for years to come. Michelle, from the nearby Almondsbury Interchange Hotel and Crest Hotels Group expressed her support:

"We hope this vibrant, perfectly placed Mural will help to bring the much-needed attention to this unbelievable charity. After speaking to the team to understand exactly what they do for the Bristol community it makes you appreciate it so much more. This is why we wish to support the charity as much as possible going forward not only because they are our neighbours, but because they need everyone's support. We look forward to working closer with the team to help raise more awareness."

Michelle Dean, Group Commercial Director, Crest Hotels Group

GWAAC would like to thank

• Andy Council for his brilliant artwork
• the RAC for their brilliant volunteers
• Lily and Guy from Presca Sportswear/The Long Run Club for their brilliant jersey cycle tops
• Clifton Chilli Club for the amazing BBQ
• Crest Hotels Group for the offer of discounted room rates and free hot drinks at the Spray Day event
• Specialist paramedic in Critical Care Matt and Paramedic Tom for modelling the cycle jerseys
• Shinobi Screen Print for their collaboration and support