THE boss of a life-saving charity has been recognised for her efforts to help those in need after receiving an honorary degree.

Chief executive officer of the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance Trust (EHAAT) Jane Gurney was handed the degree by the University of Essex.

The degree was given in recognition of her dedication to expand and improve pre-hospital care for those in need.

With proud husband Mark by her side, Ms Gurney attended the graduation ceremony, where, following her acceptance of the honorary doctorate, she addressed the students and their guests.

Ms Gurney has led the trust since 2003 and is the longest serving chief executive officer of the 21 air ambulance charities in the UK.

Humbled by the recognition , she said: “If someone had told me 20 years ago, I would be standing here on this stage delivering this speech, I simply wouldn’t have believed them, or thought it even possible.

“To put into words how much this really means to me is not easy.

“It is a real privilege to have led Essex and Herts Air Ambulance through so many milestones over the years, and to work alongside our amazing supporters, our dedicated staff and volunteers and our highly skilled critical care teams.

“I work with true experts in their fields, and I trust and value their knowledge and ideas; they inspire me to continually explore ways we can have the courage to innovate and improve patient outcomes.

“However, it goes without saying our patients and their families are the ones who truly inspire me and my team the most, to continue to deliver our life saving service today and into the future.

“They say if you find a job you love you will never work a day in your life, and this is my reality.”