Tributes paid after death of volunteer Gina who raised £260,000 for air ambulance

Gina Constable, from Bicton Heath, Shrewsbury, spent years with her husband Tony collecting for the charity.

But after battling ill health for a number of years, she died on September 7 at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Following the death of Tony, Gina carried on with her fundraising work and in 2015 was crowned winner of the ‘Volunteer of the Year’ for the Provincial Grand Lodge of Shropshire. She also won the Midlands Air Ambulance's Chief Officer’s Commendation for her volunteering work.

Over the years, the 67-year-old attended hundreds of events and not only raised thousand of pounds but also encouraged many other people to support the charity including her daughter Samantha.

She was a devoted member of the fundraising team and was described by friends and colleagues as "passionate, committed and enthusiastic".

Her efforts were recognised earlier this year when she was nominated by Midlands Air Ambulance for her garden to be given a make-over by TV's favourite gardener Alan Titchmarsh. She appeared on the ITV show Love Your Garden in July and was delighted with the results.

Alison Hill, volunteer manager for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, said: “Gina Constable was a wonderfully kind lady and one of our longest serving volunteers, having joined soon after we started in 1991.

"During her 26 years of support, she and her late husband, Tony, made an incredible difference to our organisation. Together they helped to raise over £260,000, which funded more than 100 lifesaving air ambulance missions.

“In recognition of Gina’s unfaltering support of the charity, in June this year Alan Titchmarsh and ITV’s Love Your Garden team surprised her with a beautiful garden makeover. We knew how much her garden meant to her, as it was where she felt close to Tony, so we were pleased she was able to enjoy the space, even for a short time.

“We were privileged to know Gina and she is already greatly missed by everyone at the charity, the aircrew, her fellow volunteers and our loyal donors who she supported.”

A funeral service will be held at Shrewsbury Cemetery Chapel, Longden Road, on Tuesday at 11am followed by internet at Westhope Green Burial Ground.