A retired banker has said volunteering for a lifesaving charity has brought him closer to his community.

Andrew Catling, 77, left his career as branch director for Lloyds Bank in Northampton and moved to Knighton in 2006.

After attending a charity talk, Mr Catling decided to volunteer for Wales Air Ambulance and has been with them for nearly 18 years.

Mr Catling said: "I didn’t want to be isolated after doing a job which involved me mixing with people, staff, and customers, in a very big way.

"I always got on well with people and I wanted to do something that provided a social outlet as well, but I wanted to do it with a purpose which was adding benefit to what I was doing."

The Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, bringing hospital-standard treatments to patients and transferring them to the most appropriate hospital when necessary.

The charity operates through a partnership between the Third Sector and Public Sector.

The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) provides highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the charity’s vehicles.

Mr Catling said: "What Wales Air Ambulance has enabled me to do, is to get to know the community, to continue my skills and discuss and chat to people, building a very strong personal relationship."

He added: "To be honest it has been an extension of a career without being paid, other than the travelling as a volunteer.

"I really couldn’t have done anything better to be honest."

Mr Catling admires how the service has transformed over the years.

He said: "If you are a volunteer, you like to think that the charity you are working for is progressive and is always moving with the times.

"The air ambulance has evolved so much since I’ve been volunteering, it was quite basic in the beginning and is now one of the best services in Europe.

"That is something I am hugely proud to shout about."

Mr Catling enjoys doing talks in his community about the lifesaving work of the crew and the kit they use.

He said: "When you think about the critical care that we can now provide, through the involvement of the clinicians on board, it is outstanding."

He said: "I get a real buzz talking about the service and the work it does.

"It just makes life more enjoyable that you are part of the set-up, even though you are just a volunteer getting on with things for the benefit of the charity."

The Wales Air Ambulance Charity must raise £11.2 million each year to keep the helicopters in the air and Rapid Response Vehicles on the road – with donations and fundraising events key to the service’s survival.

Mr Catling enjoys helping people organise fundraising events in his region and said many have developed into lifelong friendships.

He said: "I’ve kept in contact with a lot of people who have been kind enough to think of us and donate money to help us keep doing what we do.

"It just gives me a spring in my step, because I feel that I am contributing something to the community in some small way."

Kate Thomas, Wales Air Ambulance’s regional fundraising manager for Powys, said: "It’s so lovely to hear Andrew talk so passionately about our service.

"We are hugely grateful for his support and it’s wonderful to hear that he thinks it has helped ‘enrich’ his retirement."

"Being a volunteer is a great way for people to maintain social relationships and can help reduce loneliness and isolation.

"We are always looking for new volunteers and are actively recruiting throughout the year.

"Whatever your background or skill base, there is a place for everyone."