A weekly newspaper has launched a £300,000 funding campaign to support an air ambulance service.

The Mansfield Chad has launched the major appeal to back Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance and help its team of paramedics save up to 300 lives across Nottinghamshire over the next 12 months.

It has won the backing of local man Sam Fretwell whose life was saved by the air ambulance following a head-on-crash last year, which left him with 42 fractures to his face, blinded in one eye and with a punctured lung.

The campaign has been launched after the paper’s previous success in raising £750,000 for a new MRI scanner at the local hospital in less than nine months.

Editor Tracy Powell said: “Chad readers have proved themselves to be extremely supportive down the years of campaigns that we adopt, and I’m sure that they will get behind our air ambulance campaign with the same vigour.

” The Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance provides a vital service for the Mansfield and Ashfield area, and it’s vital that local newspapers like the Chad support such important services to the community.”

Jim Vickrage, fundraiser for the air ambulance service, said the £300,000 campaign would be one of the biggest donations they had ever received.

He said: “When people donate money it is spent on what they want it to be spent on and that is saving lives. This campaign will give our service a massive boost and help us to support our new night flying operations.

“The money will help put the charity in a great position. We are mainly funded by public donations and we really need the support of people out their to help us do our job.”

The Chad is urging businesses, residents and fundraising groups to support their latest appeal and has won the backing of MPs across the area.