St John Guernsey is pleased to welcome thirty new volunteers to the charity partly due to a recruitment drive earlier this year.

The new members come from a variety of backgrounds and will join the team that provides Event First Aid cover, the Cycle Response Unit, Library service, Community First Responders and Youth Sections.

Volunteers from St John Guernsey attend about one hundred and fifty local events each year and so far in 2018 they have collectively contributed more than one thousand and fifty hours to support the island community. Many local events would not be able to happen without adequate first aid cover in place.

Chief Operating Officer, Nikki Harrison of St John Guernsey said “The charity has been going through a lot of changes over the past twelve months and we are going through a period of exciting development and growth. Our volunteers are at the heart of our operations and have a huge role to play in the future of the charity. We rely on the dedication and commitment of volunteers to help us provide a range of services to the island, so I am delighted to welcome our new members and look forward to working with them in the months ahead. We will also have some new volunteering opportunities available in 2019, as we develop and introduce new services to improve the lives of everyone in our community.”

The new recruits are currently going through an induction and training programme, including first aid skills, safe working practices, policy & procedures and radio communication skills. Learning new skills, working as part of a team and serving the community provides a number of personal development opportunities for St John volunteers.

Janet Unit who joined St John in 2017 and is now qualified to be first aider at local events said “I joined St John as a volunteer first aider to give something back to the community. I feel an immense sense of pride wearing my uniform and representing the organisation. It’s wonderful to be able to give initial care to those who need it and to know my first aid skills are up to speed whenever they may be required.”

Anyone interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities with St John Guernsey should contact Sally Byrne on 727129 or email sally.byrne@stjohn.gg