From the young boy knocked off his bike in a road accident, to the toddler choking on a toy, the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance provides life-saving care to thousands of people every year.

Yet the charity is reliant almost entirely on donations and fundraising – which is why it’s looking for altruistic athletes who’d like to take part in the KM Assault Course Challenge next month and help it to continue its vital work.

Housing association and KM Charity Team partner Golding Homes has chosen the air ambulance as its charity for 2018 and will be entering two teams to raise funds.

“It’s a service that we’re all passionate about here, so it was a very easy decision to make,” explained chief executive Gary Clark.

“We have a growing number of staff who love getting involved with charity challenges and we’re involved with a wide range of fundraising, from baking cakes to sponsored walks.

“We’re really looking forward to the assault course. We had some teams who got involved last year and thoroughly loved it.

“We’ve got some real athletes – not like me, I’m just taking part for fun – and some very competitive guys on our team and hopefully we’re going to raise a lot of money.”

Lauren Elphick, the air ambulance trust’s head of event management, said: “Our doctors and paramedics are able to deliver all the skills and equipment of an accident and emergency department to critically ill and injured patients.

“On average our crews are tasked four to six times a day. No matter where you are in Kent, Surrey or Sussex, you are never more than 20 minutes away from the lifesaving care that only we can bring directly to your side - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”

The assault course features around 20 obstacles, some army-level – including water jumps, tunnels, climbing walls, a rope walk, a tyre wall and balance beams. Anyone over 14 with a reasonable level of fitness can take part.

It is a sponsored team event – teams should have six people - and takes place on Sunday, April 15 at Betteshanger Country Park, near Deal, with start times between 9am and 3pm.

The sponsorship money you raise will be split 70/30 between the charity of your choice and the KM Charity Team, which runs road safety, literacy and walk to school schemes for children and is organising the event. There will be prizes for the biggest fundraisers and the best fancy dress outfits, and you’ll receive a certificate and photos for taking part.

The KM Assault Course Challenge is supported by MY/PT, Betteshanger Park and Eurostar. To sign up, visit www.kmcharityteam.co.uk/booking and enter the discount code KMNEWS18.