A SWINDON tattoo studio will celebrate its seven-year anniversary with a special charity event tomorrow.

Distinkt Tattoos, based on Faringdon Road, will donate the money it raises on the day to two charities. Wiltshire Air Ambulance, plus a second charity to be voted upon by the public, will share the proceeds equally.

James Trotman, tattooist and owner of Distinkt, said: “We wanted to celebrate our journey by helping the community we love so much.

“One of the charities we all hold dear to our hearts as it helped a colleague's family member in their time of need. His dad was involved in an accident a few years back and if it wasn’t for the air ambulance and the NHS, the end result could have been a lot worse.

“The current air ambulance is getting old and a replacement is needed. There aren’t enough funds at the moment and we think it’s an important part of the ambulance service.”

James added: “I started tattooing 10 years ago and have been fortunate enough to be able to open my own business. To me, this is more of a lifestyle than a job!”

The artists have created a special flash sheet of designs for punters to choose from, which even includes a helicopter saving someone with a mountain backdrop.

Tattoos will be inked at a discounted price as part of the celebratory day.

The studio was set up in the middle of a recession – a big gamble James says has paid off thanks to the help and loyalty of his customers.

It started off with only two tattooists but that number has grown to five. One of the artists joined from Thailand to showcase his country's traditional bamboo style of tattooing.

All of the staff will be tattooing on the day, and all the proceeds raised will be split in half to donate to both charities.

The event will starts at 10am and will be a walk-in only service, with no bookings in advance accepted.