THE life-saving charity Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust has received a £10,000 donation from an unusual source.

The Crematorium and Memorial Group (CMG), operators of Glynn Valley Crematorium in Bodmin, are able to make the donation to Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust due to it participating in a nationwide metal recycling scheme.

The scheme sees metals that survive the cremation process recycled, with the express consent of bereaved families. Materials can include titanium orthopaedic implants such as hips and joints, and all profits from the initiative are donated to charity. During the past 18 months the Group has donated more than £1.5-million to local, national and international charities by recycling in this way.

Karen Stewart, business leader at Glynn Valley Crematorium, said: “We are delighted to help fund the Air Ambulance’s life-saving activities and their appeal to fund a second helicopter.

"My team and I recently had the pleasure of visiting the charity’s headquarters to receive a tour of the facilities and learn more about their services that help provide vital medical care to those in need. It was a really interesting opportunity to meet the crew and we could immediately recognise the challenges they now face and why they need a second helicopter.”

Debbie Henshaw, head of strategic giving from Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust, added: “It was our pleasure to host a visit from Karen and her team at Glynn Valley Crematorium. I was also delighted to be able to apply for and secure funding from the Crematorium and Memorial Group. We are so grateful to the bereaved families, and to Karen and her team, for helping the charity. To be granted £10,000 is an incredible support and takes us another massive step closer to bringing a second helicopter to serve the people in and visiting our beautiful county of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.”

The Crematorium and Memorial Group are part of Dignity PLC. The group operate 45 crematoria and 27 cemeteries across England and Scotland and is involved in approximately 75,000 cremations and burials on annual basis.