Generous donations have enabled the installation of night landing facilities to allow 24-hour emergency air ambulance operations in Stoke Fleming.

The Rotary Club of Dartmouth has made a major contribution to the installation, to enable landing facilities by the Devon Air Ambulance Trust.

This will provide the security and safety of rapid response to emergencies and the swift transfer to acute care hospitals.

Prior to this there have been periods of community consultation, planning with DAAT and fundraising. A contribution from the rotary club has made a huge difference in enabling the project to be carried out this year.

The community managed to raise a reasonable contribution of the required funds and the parish council made a donation.

In total the project cost £5,733.56 plus VAT which was made up of the following:

Excavation and creation of base: £1,452.00; Lighting mast: £1,226.50; Rope: £45.00; Floodlights: £682.50; Cable etc: £86.87; Switches, aerial, control unit: £519.77; Mains distribution, terminations etc: £245.00; Labour: £1,495.92.

In addition to the grant from the rotary, DAAT donated a grant of £2,927.92 and the remaining money was raised by the community of Stoke Fleming and the Parish Council.

This investment will provide the parish with an emergency lifeline.

Struan Coupar, chair of Stoke Fleming Parish Council said: “The donation from Dartmouth Rotary has enabled us to reach the target required to fund the cost of the lighting mast for the air ambulance, and so is doubly welcome and appreciated.

“We can now set a date for installation. The degree of fundraising already achieved from within the community has demonstrated just how much support there is for the DAAT initiative and we are very grateful to Rotary for its support, bringing the project to a conclusion.”