Magpas Air Ambulance CEO receives MBE at Windsor Castle
Magpas Air Ambulance charity CEO had a date with royalty this week when he attended Windsor Castle to receive his MBE.
Thirty-seven-year-old Daryl Brown was given the award last June in the Queen's birthday honours and on Tuesday (15), he received his medal from HRH The Princess Royal at Windsor Castle.
Cambridgeshire resident, Daryl was given the award for service to Magpas and the air ambulance sector.
He has held a number of charitable, NHS and local authority positions in the county.
Last year, on top leading the lifesaving charity for his 12th year, Daryl was also appointed by the Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire as a Deputy Lieutenant for Cambridgeshire.
During his decade plus with Magpas Darryl has seen many milestones including the service becoming the first 24/7 air ambulance service in the region and also training generations of pre-hospital emergency medicine doctors as the leading training provider in the UK.
The charity has also purchased a state of the art AW169 helicopter, has future-proofed the service by investing in a new air base, training centre and HQ to better serve patients across the region
The Magpas Air Ambulance Future 50 Campaign will be raising the funds in the coming year to complete the building by 2023 ensuring its future for the next 50 years.
As well as his commitment to Magpas, Daryl currently holds trusteeship and directorship of Air Ambulances UK, the membership body and charity representing the United Kingdom’s Air Ambulance Charities. He is also a serving director of the British Helicopter Association (BHA) and supports Anglia Ruskin University serving on its Alumni Board.
Daryl previously served as mayor and deputy mayor of Huntingdon, where he lives, and was also executive councillor for Huntingdonshire District Council part of the Councils Cabinet. Daryl served for six years on the Governor Board of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, including as lead governor. He was also the first lay member of the Intercollegiate Board for Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine and served as voluntary chair of NHS Cambridgeshire LINK, representing views on healthcare in Cambridgeshire. As well as serving on the NHS East of England Major Trauma Project Board, which established the East of England trauma network.
After receiving his MBE, Daryl said: “The investiture at Windsor Castle was amazing, it was so nice to receive the award from Magpas Air Ambulance’s Royal Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, and to meet so many incredible people who have done such wonderful things and been recognised by Her Majesty the Queen, especially in her Platinum Jubilee year. The success of Magpas Air Ambulance and the thousands of patients lives it has impacted is down to the thousands of doctors, paramedics, trustees, staff, volunteers and supporters over the past 50 years, I am a small part of an extraordinary legacy that the charity has built over five decades, I really would like to share this award with everyone who has passionately supported the charity and especially helped us keep going over the past two years through Covid, I am so, so proud to be part of the Magpas family.”
