FOREST of Dean MP Matt Bishop is preparing to swap the green benches of Westminster for red hot embers in support of a life saving local service.

Mr Bishop and his constituency team have signed up to Mission Ignition: The Firewalk, a daring fundraiser which will see participants walk barefoot across glowing embers to raise money for the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity.

Their team, aptly named Out of the Woods, Into the Fire, is appealing for donations to help keep the helicopters flying and critical care crews on the road.

The MP said he felt strongly about backing a service that has saved countless lives across the Forest and beyond: “This is not a party political or even general political post but something my team and I are participating in to help raise vital funds for a service that any one of us could need at any time. Here in the Forest many areas are remote and hard to reach but when time is critical the incredible team is there, bringing life saving care exactly where it is needed, fast.”

Every single day, specialist doctors and critical care paramedics from the service respond to the most serious 999 emergencies, from road traffic collisions to major trauma, strokes and cardiac arrests. Unlike a standard ambulance crew, they bring the skills and equipment of a hospital emergency department directly to the scene, often making the difference between life and death.

For rural areas like the Forest of Dean, where travel to the nearest emergency department can take crucial extra minutes, the air ambulance provides an essential lifeline. Last year alone, crews were called out more than 2,000 times.

Despite this vital role, the charity receives no government or National Lottery funding and must raise more than £4 million each year to remain operational. All of that comes from public donations, fundraising efforts and community support.

Mr Bishop said he and his team wanted to do something bold to match the commitment of the crews: “By sponsoring our team you are helping fund this lifesaving service and yes, we are walking on fire to show how serious we are about supporting them. Please donate what you can and help keep the air ambulance flying and saving lives.”

The firewalk challenge is part of a wider fundraising effort by the charity to engage communities across its region, with supporters encouraged to take on unusual and eye catching challenges to boost donations.

The Out of the Woods, Into the Fire team’s fundraising page has now gone live and Mr Bishop hopes people across the Forest will get behind the effort.

The team has already made a strong start to their fundraising, with £115 raised towards their £500 target. Mr Bishop said he was hopeful that support from the Forest community would help them reach and even surpass that goal.

Donations can be made online via the team’s page, with every penny going directly towards keeping the service in the air and on the roads to save lives.