The biggest brains in the district’s business community will be pitting their wits against each other in the St Albans Business Festival’s fundraising quiz in aid of the region’s air ambulance charity Magpas.

The Business Quiz takes place at St Albans School on June 25, with representatives from a host of local and regional companies vying to be crowned quiz champions.

As well as ensuring that everyone has a fun night out, the quiz will be raising much-needed funds for Magpas Helimedix, an air ambulance charity based in the eastern region which was despatched to over 800 medical emergencies last year alone.

One such recent case was little nine year old Abaigh O’Gallagher, who lives near St Albans. She was playing football in a local park when the ball rolled out into the road and she ran out to fetch it. She was hit by a car and suffered severe head and body injuries.

Her father Patrick explained: “I rushed to Abaigh’s accident and saw lots of emergency vehicles and people surrounding the perimeter. I ran to where Abaigh was lying and she looked so poorly. I just held her hand and reassured her that everything was going to be alright.”

Magpas Helimedix flew to Abaigh to give her the immediate A&E care she desperately needed to save her life. Magpas doctor Tom Odbert and paramedic Sally Boor quickly and confidently anaesthetised Abaigh to put her in a medically-induced coma and reduce the impact of her injuries, before flying her to hospital.

Abaigh is now 10 years old and full of life. Patrick said: “We will always be grateful to Magpas, had they not been available at the time of Abaigh’s accident, I dread to think of the outcome. They literally brought a trauma centre to Abaigh and saved her life. I often think of Magpas when Abaigh rides her scooter or plays in the park, as her recovery was only made possible by what they did that day. They gave her the foundation and the opportunity to fight and recover”.

Abaigh is just one of the many thousands of people Magpas has helped to save, thanks to public support, over the past 44 years.

Magpas chief executive Daryl Brown added: “At Magpas Helimedix, we know life is precious. Our key focus has always been to deliver critical lifesaving care, within the right time frame, where it is needed most. Our prime goal is not only to save people’s lives, but for them to recover more quickly, spend less time in hospital and return to a decent quality of life with their loved ones. We are proud to say that Magpas has attended over 60,000 patients since we were founded in 1971. The training we provide continues to evolve, so that we can deliver the highest level of specialist care.”

There are still a few tables left for the Business Quiz - see www.stalbans-chamber.co.uk/buy-online/events for details - why not get together a team and help to save more lives like Abaigh’s?