THE former mayor of West Devon, Dennis Bater, last week presented a cheque for nearly £830 to his chosen charity, the Devon Air Ambulance Trust. The money was raised from a variety of sources during Cllr Bater's year as mayor, including a collection taken at his civic service, contributions from the sale of his recently published book, and donations from councillors and staff in lieu of Christmas cards. Cllr Bater said: 'During the time I served in the fire brigade I often had to work with the air ambulance and appreciate, at first hand, what great work they do. The Devon Air Ambulance has to rely on donations to keep going and I am pleased to support this very worthwhile cause.' Heléna Holt, chief executive of the Devon Air Ambulance Trust said: 'We are very grateful to Cllr Bater for his support over the past 12 months. We really appreciate all his hard work and this fantastic donation. 'Devon Air Ambulance Trust is totally independent of government funding so the service is funded solely by the community, the people and businesses of Devon. 'We really couldn't operate this essential lifesaving service, let alone further improve and develop it, without the help of our many friends and supporters like Cllr Bater.'
