Offering a first class service (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Offering a first class service

10:39am Thursday 7th August 2008

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The summer is shows and events time and there are very few big events in the Cotswolds that are not attended by volunteers from St John Ambulance, providing first-aid cover in case of emergencies. Charlotte Shepherd was invited to a routine meeting of the St John brigade in Cirencester to find out what being a volunteer entails.

SPENDING an evening with the St John Ambulance division in Cirencester at their monthly meeting, I get a glimpse of the warmth and camaraderie that pervades this organisation.

There is a lot of banter and the new members - there are three starting tonight, one just 14 - are made to feel welcome with cups of tea.

The formal business of dividing up duties "any volunteers for a garden party in Ashton Keynes?" is concluded swiftly by Faye Rose, the 34-year-old division leader, who is also the County Staff Officer for Cadets in Gloucestershire.

Volunteers, who will give up their time free, are also needed for the Race for Life; Churn Project Family Fun Day; an open day at the Royal Agricultural College; a Jazz brunch and a six-a-side football tournament.

There are plenty of opportunities for the 15 members to get stuck in and test out their first-aid skills.

We then move on to the serious business of saving lives. Roland Rogers is the training officer for the group. "I got into it through the army," he explains.

People’s motives for joining, Roland says, are many and varied but top of the list is the need to be competent in a crisis. "Some people feel inadequate when something happens and they can’t deal with it, so they make an effort to find out."

This evening he is leading his team through the basics of CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation).

For many members this is a reminder exercise but for the new recruits it will be their first taste of what could await them on the front line.

The reality, though, is actually rather different and volunteers will more often than not find themselves dealing with cuts, grazes, blisters and bee stings or helping members of the public deal with the effects of too much sun.

However, such is the sudden nature of illness that volunteers need to be prepared for any eventuality and before they can wear the uniform they are obliged to undertake a full day of training at the St John Ambulance training centre in Staverton.

If they join the organisation then all the training is free, including many different courses such as emergency life support and defibrillator training.

St John Ambulance volunteers may go on to other positions, including the Community First Responders in Fairford.

The organisation is always looking for donations from the public and from companies and Faye is busy working behind the scenes in Cirencester to gather what support she can.

She is able to announce at the meeting that she has approached several local businesses to fund the uniforms and equipment for the first aid bags.

The youth groups are hugely important to St John Ambulance and there are currently 139 cadets aged 10-18 in Gloucestershire, at groups across the county including Bourton-on-the-Water, Stroud and Tuffley.

Unfortunately there is no cadet group in Cirencester at present. "We have amalgamated and we can take members as young as 14 in our main group," Faye explains. "Unfortunately there are not enough youth leaders coming forward. There is also a list of children between the ages of 5 and 10 waiting to start as Badgers."

Children in the cadets not only get to attend events but also work towards schemes such as The Duke of Edinburgh Award.

And by gaining first-aid proficiency at an early age, they are joining an elite group – the estimated two percent of the population who have basic life saving skills.

Members of the St John Ambulance division in Cirencester conclude the first half of the evening by putting each other in the recovery position amid much laughter.

I leave with a surer feeling that next time I am at a fête there will be someone on hand if the cream teas prove too much for me.

CASE NOTES: Faye Rose, aged 34 County Staff Officer for Cadets in Gloucestershire and leader of the Cirencester brigade.

"I started as a St John Ambulance cadet nearly 20 years ago. The people I met were really friendly.

"It is nice to be with like-minded people who want to give something back to the community.

I’ve since gained some medals. One for long service and a medal called the Serving Sister of the Order of St John. You have to be nominated for that one. It’s for people who go over and above the normal role.

"We get asked to go to a lot of fêtes and shows. A lot of our time is spent giving advice, dishing out the suncream, dealing with blisters, twisted ankles and sprains.

We used to cover motorbike scrambles in this area and that was where I saw the worst injuries with breaks. But they don’t seem to hold those in this area now.

"It’s easy to get involved. It can be as much or as little as you want to do.

As well as members who want to do the training and wear the uniform, we also welcome those who just want to do the admin."

St John Ambulance Gloucestershire Fact File

* In 2007 in Gloucestershire 549 St John Ambulance volunteers carried out 104,864 hours of first aid, training and other work in the county.

* They spent 43,118 hours as Community First Responders providing emergency aid prior to the arrival of an ambulance

* In 2007 volunteers provided 13,123 hours of first-aid cover at events in Gloucestershire.

* 3,403 hours were spent training St John Ambulance’s younger members and 25,333 hours honing their skills at unit meetings.

* St John Ambulance crews spent 549 hours transporting patients to accident and emergency units; 1,294 hours on social care and 273 hours on community transport.

* Volunteers spent 13,289 hours on administration and support and a further 4,482 hours on miscellaneous duties.

* Anyone interested in the work of St John Ambulance should contact county headquarters on 01452 858220 or go to www.stjohnambulance.org.uk/gloucestershire

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