VOLUNTEER FOR US

Volunteering has always been one of the core principles of St John around the world since its formation in the 1800’s. St John Guernsey is no exception. Volunteers play a vital part in all of what St John Guernsey does.

From the provision of event first aid cover and training, or being first on the scene at an emergency as a Community First Responder, to logistics, youth leadership, fundraising and other non-uniformed roles – there are lots of ways you can contribute and help us carry on our vital work.

It is only with your help that we can continue to help keep our Bailiwick’s community safe.

First Aiders

As a first aid volunteer you can be the difference between a life lost and a life saved. Our first aid volunteers are a familiar sight at community events – many of which could not continue without us.

Our dedicated team of volunteers give many thousands of hours to the community each year. With an ever-increasing demand for our services – we need help. If you’re aged 18 years or over and like the idea of helping others we’d like to hear from you.

You do not need prior knowledge of first aid as we will train you. To become a first aider you will need to complete:

  • An induction course covering several aspects of the organisation including a brief introduction to the history of St John, manual handling techniques and child protection
  • First aid training based on the modular community first aid package

Both during your training, and after, you won’t be left without help. We arrange for new first aiders to work with experienced first aiders, so you can increase your skills and confidence. Once you have gained some experience on duty, you may wish to complete further training to become an advanced first aider.

We usually recommend that people who are new to first aid spend at least six months to a year in the first aider role before starting training in more advanced subjects. Every member of St John Ambulance is assessed annually to make sure our skills are up-to-date.

Community First Responders

A Community First Responder is a trained volunteer who makes themselves available to be dispatched by Ambulance Control to attend a potentially life-threatening emergency. They are trained as a minimum in basic life support and the use of a defibrillator. Community First Responders are alerted by the Joint Emergency Services Control Centre at the same time as an ambulance is deployed and, as they are already in the community they can often get to the patient first.

A Community First Responder will be dispatched to ‘Priority One’ type emergency calls which include:

  • Cardiac arrest
  • Chest pains
  • Unconsciousness
  • Breathing difficulties
  • Choking
  • Severe bleeding

Community First Responders are dispatched by JESSC by text message and Tetra radio. If they are in the vicinity they will respond equipped with a life-saving defibrillator and first response kit to administer immediate treatment to the patient prior to the arrival of the ambulance. There will be no delay in sending an ambulance due to this scheme.

The team of Community First Responders is growing and we hold regular courses for new CFR’s.  If you would be interested in finding out more about the team or becoming a responder, please get in touch.

Ambulance Reserve

The Ambulance Reserve is a group of volunteers who assist the professional ambulance service at major incidents, during times of high demand and adverse weather conditions. They are trained how to set up the major incident equipment, man the various treatment posts and are given training on basic first aid.

Volunteer Ambulance Care Assistant

One of the many voluntary roles in our organisation is the transfer of patients who require regular renal dialysis. The service currently has three voluntary care assistants who give up their own time to ensure the patients going for this essential treatment are at their appointments on time.

Youth Leaders

St John is one of the UKs and the islands leading youth organisations with an emphasis on teaching young people first aid and life skills. We work with children from as young as five through to eighteen. Our volunteer youth leaders help to teach our Badgers and Cadets the programme of activities and first aid as they work towards nationally-recognised youth awards.  The leaders also organise weekly meetings, devise exciting lesson plans, social activities and games.

Youth Leaders are supported throughout by a dedicated support team.

Boat Crew

The Flying Christine III operates with a fully trained volunteer crew consiting of a marine operations manager, coxwains, engineers and deck hands from the local boating community.   The volunteer crew work together with the on-board clinical crew of paramedics, medical technicians and emergency care assistants provided by Ambulance & Rescue Guernsey.

The volunteer crew operates on a rota to maintain cover 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and also takes part in regular training and day to day maintenance activites.

Other Roles

St John has a volunteering opportunity for almost everyone and for almost all abilities.   Although many of our volunteers provide first aid related services, we also welcome non-uniformed volunteers that can provide their time to undertake a variety of other tasks within the organisation.  This could be helping to look after our buildings or equipment,  assisting with the library service, helping out with fundraising events or providing administrative and other such support.  We also welcome volunteers who act as St John Community Ambassadors, who activly promote the work of St John Guernsey in their own workplaces and communities.

We would be delighted to hear from anyone that would like to become involved with St John, in any way.  Get in touch and let us know how you could help.