Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) have announced a new collaboration with Thomas Merritt, a rising star in the motor racing world, to boost awareness regarding the dangers of speeding on public roads and to promote safer driving to help save lives.  

Merritt, aged 14 from Kings Hill, Kent, is competing in the 2024 BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship, with Race Car Consultants, following several successful seasons in karting. He wants to use this opportunity to support KSS, a local charity very close to his heart. In May 1998, his grandmother, was airlifted to hospital by KSS, following a serious road accident involving both his paternal grandparents.   

Allan McHenry, Clinical Director at KSS, emphasises the critical importance of safer driving.   

“We know that there is a direct relationship between the speed of an object and the energy it imparts on collision. The greater the speed on our roads, the higher the risk of fatalities and injuries. By raising awareness of the dangers of speeding, we aim to make our roads safer for everyone.”  

KSS save lives when every second counts, bringing expert doctors and paramedics to the scene to provide vital critical care such as open-heart surgery, blood transfusions and emergency anaesthetic. With a daily operating cost of £51K, KSS relies on the generosity of supporters to continue their lifesaving mission.  

Thomas Merritt lends his platform to amplify the message of road safety. “Whilst I love driving fast and racing around a circuit, I am aware of the danger this can cause on our roads. I am thrilled to be able to use my platform to raise awareness of this fantastic charity and the lifesaving work they do. I’d like to thank the KSS team for the opportunity to work with them and I’m excited to see what we can do together in the year ahead.”  

KSS encourages all drivers on our roads to engage in conversations about speed, given the alarming statistics, five people lose their lives daily in the UK due to road accidents, with one in four fatal crashes involving speeding. Road traffic collisions remain a key concern for KSS, with injuries often affecting the head, emphasising the severity of the issue.  

Thomas’s next event will take place at Brands Hatch on 13 and 14 April. Thomas invites everyone to join him in supporting this critical cause and making our roads safer for all.  

KSS has launched an urgent £1 million fundraising appeal, ‘Buy it for Life’, to raise the final funds needed to secure the future of its lifesaving helicopter and enable it to reach more patients and save even more lives across Kent Surrey and Sussex. 

To donate to the KSS ‘Buy it for Life’ appeal and have your name on its air ambulance helicopter, please go to aakss.org.uk/helicopter.