Lia’s Wings launches a bold three-year strategy

Geography should never be a barrier to critically ill children receiving the care they need.

Lia’s Wings is launching a new three-year strategy to tackle barriers that prevent children from accessing vital care. With more families and organisations turning to Lia’s Wings for support, our work has never been more important, or more in demand.

Lia’s Wings is the only UK air ambulance charity that delivers life-saving services both in the UK and internationally. We use aeroplanes to provide urgent medical transfers, ensuring that babies and children receive the vital treatment they need, no matter where they are. We also provide a tailored support service for families to help them through crisis, creating improved outcomes and lasting change.

We’re a small charity with big ambitions. Guided by the needs of the children and families we support, our three-year strategy is focused on strengthening and growing the support we offer to families, and the expertise we offer to the systems around them, including the NHS, travel insurers, embassies, the FCDO, and the aviation sector.

The strategy outlines our ambitions for the next three years, focused on four key pillars:

"This three-year strategy marks the next chapter for Lia’s Wings. It will strengthen our foundations and allow us to build a service in which we can help every family whenever they need us. By investing in our operations, our people and our long‑term resilience, we will build an organisation that can meet the growing demand for specialist aeromedical transfers in the UK and internationally. This strategy is our roadmap for impact – and together, we will ensure that every child can access the treatment they need, wherever they are."- Nathalie Scott, Lia's Wings CEO

By 2029, we aim to:

Families & Support

• Support over 120 families each year with domestic and overseas transfers

• Offer long-term support to every family that needs it

• Deliver crisis support packages to families overseas

• Introduce specialist referral and support pathways for complex cases

  
  

 Access & Partnerships

• Expand air operator partnerships

• Become a preferred supplier for travel insurers

• Build referral pathways with British embassies

• Strengthen signposting, including in-country support

  
  

Influence & Advocacy

• Publish an overseas repatriation guide with FCDO

• Lead advocacy on Emergency Travel Document reform

• Present at major conferences within the air ambulance, aviation and travel insurance sectors.

Growth & Innovation

• Establish a “Never Say No” Fund

• Have a working Family Advisory Group providing a strong voice on our organisational development and leadership.

• Build a bigger and engaged community of supporters and partners.

• Be recognised as a trusted partner across the NHS, aviation and insurance sectors.

“This strategy reflects a simple but powerful belief: that no British child should ever be beyond the reach of the care they need. Wherever a family finds themselves in the world, Lia’s Wings will be there - bringing not just medical excellence, but compassion, reassurance, and a pathway home to the UK’s healthcare system. We are proud to stand as the UK’s de facto international medical service for children, ensuring that distance, borders and circumstance never determine a child’s outcome.”  - Dean Gillespie, Lia's Wings Chair of Trustees

Thank you for being part of this journey

Every child deserves access to the care they need, wherever they are in the world. With your support, we can break down the barriers that stand in their way and be there for families at their most critical moments.

As we begin this next chapter, we remain focused on delivering practical, life-changing support to children and families, and working with partners to make access to care simpler and fairer.

Lia’s Wings relies on the generosity of its supporters to continue this work. If you’re able to, please consider supporting us today.