Scientologists hand Sussex air medics £50k
The controversial Church of Scientology has donated £50,000 to the Sussex Air Ambulance Service at a glitzy gala hosted by a Hollywood star.
Actress Kelly Preston, wife of John Travolta, compered the event at the church’s headquarters in Saint Hill Manor, East Grinstead, in front of 1,500 people.
Ms Preston is a keen supporter of the religion, which was founded by L Ron Hubbard in 1953.
Sussex Air Ambulance Service provides helicopter cover for the county, as well as for Kent and Surrey, attending an average of four incidents every day.
The charity is funded entirely by donations and provides a team of doctors, paramedics and nurses. Its chief executive, Dave Philpott, was invited on to the stage alongside staff and crew to accept the cheque from Ms Preston and Bob Keenan, director of the L Ron Hubbard Foundation.
