Wiltshire Air Ambulance supporter Katie Money-Kyrle is urging the county’s residents to recycle their used cooking oil into cash.

In a new scheme, which lasts until the end of March, waste company Hills will donate 25p to Wiltshire Air Ambulance for every litre of used cooking oil collected at household recycling centres.

Mrs Money-Kyrle, from Heddington, was rescued by the Wiltshire Air Ambulance in September 2011 after she fell off her horse Maisie around King’s Play Hill.

The accident broke her back, sacrum and pelvis, putting her in the Great Western Hospital, Swindon, for two days and in bed at home for six weeks.

The 43-year-old, a physiotherapist at James Hatt and Associates, Devizes, said: “I am still horse riding. It took me a long time to get back on because it does knock your confidence but I have continued thanks to them.”

The air ambulance costs more than £700,000 to run each year and this amount is set to rise to around £2.5m by the end of 2014.

Caroline Corrigan, head of fundraising for Wiltshire Air Ambulance, said:“We operate the only air ambulance in the UK with the ability to fly and land at night, and we can be anywhere in the county within 11 minutes of call-out.

“This scheme is brilliant because it’s something that any householder can do. It’s literally household waste they would normally have, so the Wiltshire public don’t have to put their hands in their pockets at all.”

All oil collected throughout the campaign will be recovered by Living Fuels and converted into carbon-neutral electricity to power homes and businesses.

Oil collected from different sites will be put together into one delivery to the company’s recovery facility in Norfolk.

Cliff Carter, recycling manager for Hills Waste Solutions, said: “Recycling used cooking oil is a really simple way for people to make a donation. Not only will it save lives but it looks after the environment too.”

Collection points for used oil are at the 11 household recycling centres operated by Hills across Wiltshire. For details visit www.hills-waste .co.uk/waste-to-resource/ household-recycling-centres