ST JOHN Ambulance service has found a new home, after an 11th-hour offer from RAF Northolt.
The South Hillingdon branch of the charity had been based at RAF Uxbridge, in Hillingdon Road, but faced being homeless after the base closed earlier in the year, in readiness for redevelopment.
It was only after a front page appeal in the Gazette in August that offers for a new home began to materialise.
Keith Saunders, of Tavistock Road, West Drayton, is the division superintendent.
He said: "Following the excellent and most helpful article in the Gazette, we had several offers of accommodation.
"Some were just too expensive and others did not fulfil sufficient elements of the criteria we required.
"We were seriously looking at The Ivy Leaf club in Uxbridge but parking was very poor, and the favourite was the Dovetail Community Outreach Centre in Hercies Road, Hillingdon.
"The Reverend Reg Craig offered everything except secure parking for our ambulances, and we were about to sign a contract with them for the short-term.
"John Randall MP had spoken with Brunel, and indeed Brunel had something in mind for the middle of 2011, which would have been excellent, but at the 11th hour, I was invited to a meeting at RAF Northolt."
Mr Saunders was able to strike an agreement and the service will move into new facilities at the base in West End Road, Ruislip, on January 12.
"We will be using the excellent training centre there for our meetings and it meets all the criteria we enjoyed at RAF Uxbridge, only in very modern surroundings, complete with dedicated secure parking for our ambulances and 24/7 access," he said.
"Until then, we have been offered free use of The Battle of Britain Club [at RAF Uxbridge].
"The RAF and the Battle of Britain Club have been so supportive of us since 1989.
"We want to say a big thank you to everybody who has been involved and, of course, to the Gazette for kickstarting the whole procedure."
