First aid moves to the street in bid to engage young responders

Sunday 10 December 2023

Around 1,000 young islanders are set to be equipped with first aid skills that will help them respond to street violence and mental health crises.

St John Ambulance is to bring its 'Young Responders' programme, started in the UK earlier this year, to Jersey after securing support from a sponsor and charitable foundations.

The programme aims to help young people learn traditional physical first aid skills such as how to put someone into the recovery position, plus street first aid covering knife wounds, drink spiking, alcohol and drug intoxication, and tips on mental health awareness.

The programme will be delivered in secondary schools and colleges, as well as through other agencies such as Probation and the Youth Service, up to a maximum age of 25.

Sarah Harman, CEO of St John Ambulance Jersey, said the charity was constantly looking to adapt to the changing needs of communities, including adding mental health topics to more traditional first aid.

She said: “The launch in the UK has been hugely successful and while we won’t have the same emphasis on certain things, like knife crime, we have to be aware that we are not immune in Jersey and those skills can be transferred to other injuries.

“The programme will engage and empower young people from across our community to become young responders, learning practical first aid skills that could save a life and be relevant to the challenges they face.”

Funding has come from a variety of sources:

• Kezia's Fund, which was set up to support mental health amongst children and young people in Jersey following the death of young Islander Kezia Mason in March 2023.
• Law firm Corbett Le Quesne, which has chosen St John Ambulance Jersey as its chosen charity for 2024.
• The Jersey Community Foundation.

Initially funded in the UK through the People's Postcode Lottery, the Young Responders programme aimed to focus on user's needs, with street violence and mental health awareness identified as key priorities.

Training sessions have been designed to be fun and inclusive, with scenario-based activity and less emphasis on uniforms that had traditionally played a more prominent role in St John's work.

Pictured top: Young Responders from St John Ambulance during a training session in London.