St. John Ambulance needs you!

Sunday 20 May 2018

St. John Ambulance is on the hunt for volunteers to join its ranks and has launched a recruitment drive in the hope of finding at least 20 new members.

Anyone aged over 18 can apply to join St. John Ambulance and a qualification in First Aid is not necessary as all new members will receive training before helping at events.

The team currently has 50 volunteers in his ranks, half of them attending events regularly. Last year, St. John Ambulance attended 167 events, including outdoor public events, Parish shows, the Battle of Flowers, music festivals and walks around the island. They carried out a total 5,200 hours of voluntary work delivering first aid treatment to 336 people and accompanying 27 to the hospital.

Jane Allan, St John's Recruitment and Retention Officer, explained that to answer the demand for first aid cover at organised events, they need more people to join. "It will make life so much easier. We need people who are enthusiastic and who don't necessarily have First Aid qualifications. We provide first aid training to all members and for the more experienced members, there is the opportunity to build on their skills and knowledge.

"There is no 'No you can't do it any longer' until you can't do it any longer! There is no age restriction but obviously the health of the volunteers is very important to us. They have to be fit enough to go out there and assist people."

Pictured: St. John's volunteers help out at a variety of events.

New members will receive a "quick induction package," which will include first aid training, moving and handling, and prevention of infection. "It is essential," explains Jane. "Anybody that goes out there receives training for their safety and others'."

The newbies will be expected to train at least one night a week at St. John's headquarters on Midvale Road, either on a Monday or a Wednesday night. After that they will be expected to attend at least an event a month and with a packed calendar, Jane says they will be able to choose which one to go to.

Pictured: Training takes place at St. John's headquarters on Midvale Road.

"We go out to support all the events that take place all over the island. They are all so different, in the next few weeks we will be at concerts, at the South Coast  Walk and at the Soapbox Challenge.

"The volunteers don't have to go to things they don't like. We just need them to commit to give back. We always say St.John is not an organisation for personal gain. It gives you skills to give back to community."