Hillary, Dave or Lifty the Lifesaver could become the new name of the air ambulance’s helicopters.

Schoolchildren from across the county were invited to the Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) base for the launch of its latest competition to pick a name for two of its aircraft.

Pupils and staff from St Edmund’s School, Canterbury, and Holcombe Grammar School, Rochester, were invited to the charity’s Kent headquarters to meet the team.

Holcombe Grammar School student Christabel Ajayi, 17, told KentOnline: “We are trying to bring awareness for the air ambulance to help them raise £1 million to be able to buy a helicopter.

“It will help save costs and in the long term, more people will be saved.

“I think people should have some compassion as you never know what will happen in life.

“It is a luxury that we have an air ambulance in this country and I think we should be mindful as this will help all of us.”

Ray Tolhurst, 16, added: “Being able to create a bigger sense of awareness may help increase the funding, not even just for the helicopter but for other projects down the line.

“Even if people cannot raise money, being able to increase awareness is important. Tell your friends, family, and peers it will be so helpful.”

The students’ biology teacher Giles Phillips previously spoke to KentOnline and told how his life was saved by KSS crews in 2020 when he suffered a life-threatening artery tear.

Ray added: “I think Mr Phillips is one of the best biology teachers I have ever had. To know the air ambulance helped him and to give back to what helped him is a great opportunity.”

Pupils from both schools have already come up with some names for the charity’s two helicopters including Hillary, Lifty the Lifesaver, Dave, Sana - which means to heal in Latin - and Asclepius after the Greek god of medicine.

KSS chief executive David Welch added: “It is really important that everyone in the community knows what we do and understands the important role that we play.

“We want to get the community involved so school children are really important in doing that.

“We also have a programme planned to help educate and train children so they know what to do if they come across someone who is experiencing a medical emergency.

“It is also a chance for schools to feel very much a part of every life-saving mission that we fly to to save our patients’ lives.”

The KSS Name Your Local Air Ambulance competition is free to enter and every school and youth group in Kent to take part. You can find out more here or at aakss.org.uk/NameOurHeli.

A panel of judges will pick the names which will be displayed on the helicopters with the winners announced in early June.

The competition is part of KSS’s urgent Buy it for Life appeal where the charity is trying to raise £1 million to buy its second helicopter.

Until now it has hired the aircraft but by purchasing it instead of leasing it will save KSS around £500,000 a year and allow it to fly for an extra six hours a day and in more challenging weather conditions.

Since the appeal launched, more than £500,000 has already been raised. To donate please click here or go to aakss.org.uk/helicopter.

David added: “I really appreciate how much the community has supported us and I really believe they will continue to support us.

“But we still have half a million pounds to raise which is a huge amount of money, so please keep supporting KSS.”