A look at the St John’s Ambulance organisation and how it has been helping to provide emergency support at events across the globe for many years.
It may come as a surprise to many United Kingdom residents, but the St John’s Ambulance organisation provides emergency health care at events across the globe. The organisation is divided into “priories” and there are priories as far afield as New Zealand and Zimbabwe. Wherever in the world they are all the members of the organisation follow the same values and adhere to the St John’s mission – to provide a charitable first aid service to local organisations.
What they do.
Any sporting event now has to have health care in attendance; these can work alongside the paramedic services of the area or work independently in their own right. All must have attended and passed a number of first aid courses enabling them to provide safe and correct medical attention to the injured. Very much part of the local community these uniformed officers are in fact volunteers and will be providing their services with no charge. So while you are enjoying the event bear in mind that the man standing beside you is there of his own free will and the goodness of his heart.
How you can join.
Volunteering is easy. Visiting the organisation’s website will give you all the details you need to start taking part in this valuable service to the local community. If you are over eighteen and eligible to volunteer in the United Kingdom you will first have to have a Criminal Records Bureau check as you will be responsible for members of the public of all ages. All volunteers will have basic training and then there are a number of specialised courses that will enable you to concentrate on certain areas. There are many roles in the organisation not all of them hands on and there are opportunities for the under eighteens to become involved as well.
Find out if it is for you.
Volunteering can be very rewarding and also great fun but it is also demanding. If you have agreed to take part at a certain event then they will be relying on you to be there, you would be surprised how many sporting events cannot even take place unless there is adequate medical support; so if you decide to stay in bed instead of report for duty you will be letting down a whole lot of people. Basically, all the volunteers who successfully complete the training courses are dedicated and energetic and also are able to handle the sight of injured people and deal with them calmly.
If this has inspired you to get out there and help provide health care in your community then pay a visit to the website and find out more about the priory in your area and how you can join. The website also has some useful first aid tips and details of first aid courses across the country that anyone can take part in.
This look at the works of the voluntary emergency services was written by Jaye Staddon, a freelance writer and equine event organiser who has been thankful for the St John’s services on many an occasion, for more detail visit this site.