Devon Air Ambulance (DAA) has announced that its 201st Community Landing Site in Exbourne is now operational. 

The surveyed floodlit landing site will allow DAA to land in the village during the hours of darkness and enable clinical teams to reach patients quickly. 

 Graham Coates, Landing Sites Manager at Devon Air Ambulance, said: "It's great news that this community landing site in Exbourne is operational, and we can reach even more local people by air when it's dark. My thanks to the whole team on the Exbourne with Jacobstowe Parish Council and the Playing Field Committee for enabling this landing site project to come together so successfully. 

"The project at Exbourne has involved the installation of a single LED lighting column alongside the playing field, and this new light can be operated remotely in an emergency. Added to this, we have surveyed the playing field so that our aircrew can get a better understanding of the key features of the site and the landscape surrounding it before they arrive on scene. In particular, the Playing Field Committee have been instrumental in building a new car park and better access for the land crews who may also need to approach the site in case of an emergency; it's been a real community effort and fantastic to see."

Steve Blakeman, Chair of the Exbourne with Jacobstowe Parish Council, said: "We're delighted that the playing fields at Exbourne are now officially a Devon Air Ambulance night landing spot. We've been working with DAA for a number of years to make this site operational, and we're delighted that this community project is now complete. 

"We are hoping it never has to be used but with the site now operational, it could potentially be lifesaving to anyone needing it in the surrounding area, something we are proud to be able to offer the community!" 

 Read more about the charity's network of community landing sites here: https://www.daat.org/about-community-landing-sites 

To donate to Devon Air Ambulance charity, please visit daat.org/donate.