St John Ambulance Guernsey is using Volunteer’s Week to say a big “Thank You” to all the volunteers who help improve the lives of islanders by giving their time to support the work of the charity locally.
St John first aiders are on duty at around 100 events every year. Collectively our volunteers give around 1500 hours of their time each year to attend these events, plus many hours of training. Liberation Day is the busiest single day of the year with more than 20 volunteers on duty throughout the event. Without the dedication and commitment of our volunteers many of these community activities would not be able to happen.
The St John Care in the Community Library is run by a team of 7 volunteer librarians, plus 12 volunteer delivery drivers who take books to people who can’t leave their home. Each week the St John Community Library lends out around 75 large print books.
St John Cadets and Badgers are led by an enthusiastic group of 4 volunteer leaders who are assisted by 5 volunteer helpers. The youth sections provide not only first aid training for members, but learning opportunities for life skills and personal development. Older cadets also attend community events working alongside adult first aiders.
St John Ambulance Reserves provide support for the emergency ambulance service at major incidents. There are currently around 30 people from all walks of life who give their time to train with the Ambulance Reserve. A number of these volunteers were recently involved in the multi-service exercise at Guernsey Airport.
St John volunteers also play an important role with the Patient Transport Service. There are 3 volunteer drivers who work mainly in the evening and at weekends to support the full time staff, taking people to medical appointments and renal treatment.
The St John Marine Ambulance – the Flying Christine III is crewed by a team of volunteer skippers and engineers who respond alongside professional clinicians when the vessel is deployed to medical emergencies to the other islands or visiting boats.
St John Guernsey Fellowship members also volunteer their time to help with a number of administrative and other tasks during the year.
St John has recently welcomed a number of new volunteers to the service. 8 new members have just completed their induction, DBS checks, a 4-day first aid course and assessment.
Chief Operating Officer Nikki Harrison said “Volunteers Week is a great opportunity for us to publicly thank our volunteers, without whom we would not be able to provide so many valuable services to the island. We have many long-standing and committed volunteers who have given hours and hours of their time over the years. Many of those volunteers have provided multiple role with the charity. Equally, it has been really encouraging to welcome a number of new members to St John during the past year. We are extremely grateful for the dedication and commitment of all our members.”
