On 15th November, Dame Caroline Dinenage MP visited St John Ambulance volunteers in Gosport to discuss their lifesaving work to put community first aid at the heart of every community.
Caroline was shown around the first aid and health response charity’s Gosport Unit to learn more about the role of St John volunteers in the community, the first aid services they provide and opportunities to support the unit’s lifesaving work.
In the UK, 30,000 people experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) every year, yet less than 1 in 10 people survive. It is one of the nation’s biggest killers. To improve survival rates, St John is seeking to empower communities to learn first aid as CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival. In 2023, St John attended over 158 cardiac arrests, saving over 39 lives. The charity is calling on guardians of defibrillators to register their devices on the Circuit: The Nation’s National Defibrillator Network.
During her visit, volunteers provided an overview of St John activities in the area, delivered a demonstration of a full resuscitation scenario and training on using an Automated External defibrillator. St John trains 215,000 people in first aid every year and volunteers provided first aid cover at 8,500 events in 2023 enabling thousands of events to happen safely. This is part of the organisation’s commitment to keep our communities safe.
Caroline was briefed on the unit’s latest local projects which included strengthening the recruitment of youth leaders to support the delivery of St John Ambulance’s Badger and Cadet youth programmes with 9,000 participants to build upon the 56,600 hours delivered by young people in support of event first aid operations in 2023. This is all part of the charity’s commitment to ensure every young person is first aid confident by the age of 25.
St John volunteers play their part in enhancing community first aid resilience by providing first aid training, supporting local events and providing ambulance crews to deliver emergency support to the NHS.
Dame Caroline Dinenage MP for Gosport said:
“I would like to thank St John Ambulance volunteers for inviting me to learn more about their lifesaving work in Gosport. I was impressed to learn about the first aid services they provide locally and the role St John volunteers play in supporting the NHS and communities.
“All of us have seen them standing by, ready for action, at events of all kinds across Hampshire. I was interested to hear about the Unit’s desire to grow the number of volunteers and opportunities for young people to ensure every young person is first aid confident. I encourage people across Gosport to get involved with St John Ambulance’s work to help save lives.
“We know when it comes to cardiac arrests every second counts which is why it’s vital that we train more people in first aid and strengthen public access to defibrillators to boost survival rates. I urge owners of defibrillators in Gosport to register their devices on the Circuit: the nation’s national defibrillator network, to ensure they are accessible to ambulance services. I look forward to continuing to work with St John Ambulance to raise awareness of the vital role of volunteers in putting first aid at the heart of our communities.”
Wendy McCormick Unit Manager said:
“We were delighted to welcome Dame Caroline Dinenage MP to our Gosport Unit. At St John, we are best known for providing event first aid cover and first aid courses, but we offer so much more than this including delivering an inspiring array of youth programmes. Visits such as this encourage more people to actively support our lifesaving work.
“Right now, we are actively recruiting for Youth Leaders. The youth and adults are an integral part of the community in Gosport. We encourage people of all ages to get involved. We look forward to working with Caroline Dinenage MP to expand volunteer opportunities in Gosport and strengthen public access to first aid training and equipment to help save lives.”
Kit Bowerin Policy & Public Affairs Officer said:
“I would like to congratulate our incredible volunteers for everything they do to serve their local community and enhance first aid resilience in Gosport.
“At St John Ambulance, we believe Community First aid Saves Lives, that’s why we are looking at how as a trusted partner to the NHS and local communities, we can respond, educate, and lead standards in first aid to improve health outcomes and save lives.
“We look forward to working closely with Dame Caroline Dinenage MP as Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee to strengthen opportunities for young people to learn lifesaving first aid skills and break down the barriers to volunteering.”
To find out more about St John Ambulance’s clinically trained volunteers and their work please visit www.sja.org.uk or contact [email protected]
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