The Commandery of St John in the Bailiwick of Guernsey is looking to appoint a new Knight or Dame Commander, who as chair of the organisation will be the leading figure and principal public face of the board which oversees both the St John Guernsey charity and Ambulance and Rescue Guernsey.
The recruitment of a new Knight or Dame Commander follows the recent retirement of John Hollis OstJ who stood down due to poor health.
The role involves leading the organisation, providing strategic oversight and chairing the Commandery of St John in the Bailiwick of Guernsey. The post holder will be an ambassador for St John, engaging with political and community stakeholders, developing and fostering partnerships, working with the media and representing St John at official events locally and in the UK.
Nicola Hoyland-Birch who is leading the appointment process explained: “We are looking for an inspirational leader, who shares the St John values and can support and develop the growth of the organisation as a whole, so we can continue to deliver the excellent care and compassion that islanders have come to expect. The role requires someone who is an experienced and professional chair person, with excellent communication skills and who is able to engage a wide range of stakeholders.”
This is a voluntary role.
St John operates St John Guernsey, a charity which is dedicated to helping islanders through the provision of first aid, training and youth work; and Ambulance and Rescue Guernsey which provides emergency medical and major incident response for the Bailiwick on behalf of the States of Guernsey and the States of Alderney.
The Commandery of St John in the Bailiwick of Guernsey oversees the St John Guernsey charity and St John Ambulance and Rescue Service (Ambulance and Rescue, Guernsey).
The Commandery is part of the Priory of England and the Islands, and St John International
The Order of St John is an Order of Chivalry of the British Crown and His Majesty King Charles III, the Sovereign Head of the Order.
The St John Guernsey charity provides event first aid, youth work, the community library, first aid in schools and St John Training Services.
The St John Guernsey charity is funded by donations and sponsorship.
St John provides the Ambulance Service on behalf of the States of Guernsey through a grant from the Committee for Health & Social Care. The grant is a contribution towards the operating costs of the service, with the remaining costs being met in a variety of ways including the subscription scheme and charges.
Ambulance and Rescue Service is a partner in the HSC Partnership of Purpose.
The ambulance service also provides the non-emergency patient transfer service and a major incident response for the islands.
St John has been operating the Ambulance and Rescue service in Guernsey since 1936.
Guernsey’s Ambulance and Rescue Service also provides the ambulance service for Alderney on behalf of the States of Alderney.
The Flying Christine III is a purpose built marine ambulance, which delivers pre-hospital paramedic care to the islands of the Bailiwick. The crew is made up of skilled volunteers from the local marine community and professional ambulance staff from Guernsey’s ambulance service.
John Hollis KStJ has announced his intention to stand down as the Knight Commander of St John Guernsey, following a period of poor health. John has made the decision with the support of his family and senior figures in St John.
John was appointed a Knight Commander in November 2022 and has provided leadership, oversight and direction for the whole of the St John organisation in Guernsey, including both the St John Guernsey charity and the Ambulance and Rescue Service. During his time in office, John shared his enthusiasm, vision and drive to lead the organisation into a new era, conducting a comprehensive review of its structure and core services. As a figure head for St John in Guernsey John also utilised his vast business and government experience to build and strengthen relationships with key stake holders, particularly the States of Guernsey.
In his ceremonial role as Knight Commander, John represented Guernsey at events in the UK and presided over various St John ceremonies and presentations locally. In July this year John was presented to His Majesty King Charles III, Sovereign Head of the Order of St John, during the Royal visit to Guernsey.
CEO of the St John Guernsey charity, Heather Langlois said: “John Hollis is a remarkable individual whose passion, commitment and drive are at the heart of everything he does, and his ability to inspire teams, support ideas and lead change are skills that the Charity will benefit from for years to come. John perfectly embodies the Charity’s values of Humanity, Excellence, Accountability, Responsiveness and Teamwork, and during his time as Knight Commander he has ensured a more sustainable future for the Charity. It will forever be one of my greatest privileges to have had the opportunity to learn from and work alongside John and on behalf of the St John Guernsey Charity I would like to thank him for his service. This organisation is stronger because of his leadership.”
CEO of the St John Ambulance and Rescue Service, Mark Mapp said: “The entire ambulance team will miss John, whose extensive support for the service has provided us with stability, transparency, and sustainability. Before becoming our leader, John worked in various sectors of government, where he undertook a comprehensive review of the ambulance service and, as part of the review, considered the broader urgent and emergency care healthcare system. His report was innovative, and many solutions to today’s healthcare challenges lie within his work and recommendations. John has been a strategic motivator and a driving force behind transformative changes, and his legacy will continue to inspire us all.”
Prior to being appointed as Knight Commander, John had previously served as the Chairman of the boards of St John Guernsey and St John Ambulance and Rescue Service. He came to St John following a long and successful career in international business and government adviser, having previously been a non-states member of Treasury & Resources and the States Trading Supervisory Board.
The process of recruiting a new Knight or Dame Commander will begin in the next few weeks.
We are pleased to announce the next stage of our online restructuring, with St John Ambulance & Rescue Service moving to a new web address at ambulance.gg. You can access this easily by clicking the black “Ambulance & Rescue” button at the top of your page.
This new website at stjohn.gg is dedicated solely to the charity rather than the Ambulance and Rescue Service, as we continue raising the profile of St John Guernsey LBG as a charitable cause, which is a separate organisation from the Ambulance & Rescue Service.
The perception of the role of St John in the community has become clouded for many due to the operation of the Emergency Ambulance Service. This new website highlights the roles we proudly play in supporting our Bailiwick communities through charitable endeavours like our youth programme, event first aid cover, first aid in schools, community library and training services, in addition to our fundraising events.
The new website also makes getting involved as a volunteer or signing your child up for one of our youth programmes easier than ever before.
Our recent feature in the Guernsey Press went into greater detail on the distinction between the two parts of St John.
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