TWO long serving members of St John have received awards from the Priory of St John to mark their dedication and long service.

Jill Moriarty and Dean de la Mare attended an investiture ceremony held at the Priory Church, St John’s Gate in London last year to receive the Member of the Order of St John and the Officer of the Order of St John respectively. Their combined service with the organisation in Guernsey amounts to over seven decades.

Both Jill and Dean were nominated in recognition of their long service and achievement. The awards are made by the Priory of St John and sanctioned by the Queen herself in her position as sovereign head of the Order.

Dean de la Mare is currently Senior Officer at the St John Emergency Ambulance Service with responsibility for Operations, and has been involved with the organisation for over 40 years, joining the junior section of St John at the age of eight and then the St John Cadets.

He became a Cadet and Youth Leader, completing hundreds of hours on public duties, joining the St John Ambulance and Rescue Service in 1999 to train up as a Paramedic and Paramedic Tutor prior to becoming a Senior Officer.

Jill Moriarty first joined the Northern Nursing Division of St John Ambulance Voluntary in 1977, progressing over the next 30 years from Divisional Superintendent and Bailiwick Staff Officer through to a Voluntary Ambulance and Rescue Member, supporting the Emergency Ambulance Service at major incidents.

Her varied duties over the period included escorting to a standard on parade, teaching first aid to the youngsters in Boys Brigade, Guides and Brownies and many years responsible for ensuring vehicles and personnel attended public events island-wide, including horse shows, sporting events and the large summer shows.

Andrew Henton, Knight Commander of the Order of St John in Guernsey, said he was delighted that the awards had been bestowed by St John in London, as it showed recognition from the worldwide head of the organisation.

‘The dedication, spirit and commitment shown by Jill and Dean are a credit to both themselves and to St John Guernsey. We are immensely proud of both for having received these awards.’