Guernsey based international financier and private equity investor Guy Hands and his wife Julia have added their support to the St John Ambulance Guernsey fundraising campaign by donating £5000 to the charity.
The campaign, which aims to raise £100,000 to continue the work of St John in the local community, was launched shortly after the start of the lockdown. It is raising money to help fund the Community First Responder scheme, event first aid, the Flying Christine III, the community library, youth activities and St John’s Covid-19 response in Guernsey.
Mr Hands said: “Julia and I are proud to support St John’s and their ongoing efforts to provide essential services to the Guernsey community. During lockdown, they continued to serve the island’s most vulnerable residents through their programmes. We are grateful for their unwavering dedication and hope that our contribution encourages others to join us in the fundraising efforts.”
Guy Hands is the founder and Chairman of Terra Firma, one the Europe’s leading private equity firms. Julia Hands is the Chairman and Chief Executive of Hand Picked Hotels.
During the coronavirus lockdown volunteers from St John have been delivering essential groceries and urgent medical prescriptions for people who are isolating and don’t have family or friends to help with those important deliveries. St John volunteers have also been cleaning ambulances and calling people who are lonely for a chat, through the Caring Callers scheme.
In normal times St John volunteer event first aiders can be seen on duty most weekends, helping keep islanders safe by providing medical cover at sporting and community activities. St John first aiders attend more than 100 events each year, from school fetes to the summer shows. The St John Cycle Response Unit offers an additional level of response for large scale events such as Liberation Day, the Rocquainne Regatta and the marathon.
Community First Responders (CFRs) are trained volunteers, equipped with an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) who are alerted by JESCC to life threatening medical cases in their immediate vicinity. CFR’s can deliver lifesaving treatment in the first minutes before an ambulance arrives.
Nikki Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of St John Ambulance Guernsey said: “I am really grateful to Guy and Julia for donating to our appeal. It is a real boost to receive a contribution of this size so early in the campaign and I would like to thank them for their support and recognising the important role St John plays in Guernsey.”
“We have had a terrific start to our fundraising, but we still have a long way to go. As part of the project we have a wish list of essential equipment which we urgently need. To put it into context £5000 covers the costs of a training manikin or three AEDs. I would be delighted to hear from anyone, individuals or businesses, wishing to either sponsor a particular item or make a donation to general funds,” Mrs Harrison added.
Anyone wishing to support St John Ambulance Guernsey can contact fundsraising@stjohn.gg or donate at https://giving.gg/donate/charity/54/St-John-Guernsey-LBG
All of St John Ambulance Guernsey’s community services rely on charitable donations, corporate partnership, bequests and fundraising. Small charges are made for some services such as Event First Aid.