The appointment was formally announced in The Gazette, the official public record, last week (23rd November), having been sanctioned by His Royal Highness, The Duke of Gloucester on behalf of His Majesty the King.The appointment was formally announced in The Gazette, the official public record, last week (23rd November), having been sanctioned by His Royal Highness, The Duke of Gloucester on behalf of His Majesty the King.
Mr Hollis will become the Knight Commander of St John in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a role which involves acting as a figure head for the organisation and representing St John at official events in both Guernsey and England, and chairing the Commandery, a board of directors which sets the strategic direction and has oversight of the various sections of the St John charity locally.
Mr Hollis, who has had a long and successful international business career in retail customer service and logistics, has been chairman of the boards of the St John Guernsey charity and St John Ambulance & Rescue Service since 2021. He was previously involved in two significant reviews of the St John Emergency Ambulance Service’s operations, during his time as a non-states member of Treasury & Resources and the States Trading Supervisory Board. He takes over in the role of Knight Commander from Andrew Henton who served in the role for the past five years.
Mr Hollis said: “I am honoured to have been appointed as Knight Commander and look forward to working to support and develop the many activities of St John in Guernsey. The organisation serves and cares for our community in so many ways, from event first aiders, community first responders, Badgers and Cadets, first aid training and the emergency ambulance service. Not long ago, we stood on our doorsteps every Thursday to clap the bravery of frontline medical staff, emergency services, volunteers and essential workers in Guernsey. We said we would not forget what they have done for us during the pandemic. Therefore, I am pleased and grateful to be able to help this generous and caring group of people in any way I can.”
A formal investiture ceremony is due to take place at the historic Priory church of St John in Clerkenwell, London next year,
The full title is Knight Commander for the Commandery of St John in the Bailiwick and reflects that St John is a Royal Order of Chivalry with all members appointed at the discretion of His Majesty the King.
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem has its roots in a hospice in Jerusalem in the 11th century. Today the international charity provides health care and support in more than forty countries through a dedicated team of around 250,000 volunteers and staff. In addition to being commissioned to provide the Emergency Ambulance Service in Guernsey, St John Guernsey’s further charitable services include first aid volunteers, the Flying Christine marine ambulance, the Badger and Cadet youth programme, Community First Responders, Caring Callers, the Community Library, first aid training and healthcare shop.
An individual can be admitted to the Order for outstanding service to St John in recognition of achievement, notable or selfless service or inspiration and encouragement to others. There are five Grades of membership Member, Officer, Commander, Knight or Dame and Bailiff or Dame Grand Cross.
(John Hollis pictured with the Chief Ambulance Officer, Chief Executive Officer and outgoing Knight Commander during the visit of Baroness Fookes earlier this year)
Representatives from St John Ambulance Guernsey have taken part in events in London and Guernsey to remember those who have lost their lives or been injured in conflict.
Paramedic Station Officer Sonia Guille represented Guernsey’s Emergency Ambulance Service as part of the Civilian Services Contingent for the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in Whitehall on Sunday morning. The Civilian Services Contingent is made up of nominated representatives from various agencies including the Police, Fire, Ambulance and Prison Services, St John Ambulance and the British Red Cross.
Meanwhile in Guernsey, the Chief Ambulance Officer, Mark Mapp laid a wreath on behalf of the Emergency Ambulance Service at the Smith Street War Memorial in St Peter Port during the Bailiwick Act of Remembrance.
Long serving volunteer Millie Sarre and Kelsea Bougourd represent the first aid and adult sections of St John and placed a wreath on the granite steps of the memorial on behalf of the charity. Matilda Shell and Alicia Cathcart place a poppy wreath on behalf of the St John Badgers and Cadets.
St John Ambulance Guernsey volunteers were also on duty at the ceremony to provide first aid cover for participants and the public.
On 11th November, to mark Armistice Day personnel from all sections of the organisation, marked the national two minutes silence at the St John headquarters at the Rohias.
Once again, two ambulances have been displaying large poppies as a mark of respect.
In the exercise the passenger boat Sark Venture posed as a stricken cruise ship and scenario was that a fire had started in a cabin and initial attempts to contain the fire had been unsuccessful, meaning the whole boat had to be evacuated.
The St John marine ambulance Flying Christine III, the St Peter Port lifeboat Spirit of Guernsey, and the Sea Fisheries patrol vessel Leopardess were all involved in transferring the passangers to the harbour, with the Flying Christine responsible for the injured casualties.
More than fify people who had been aboard the boat were taken to ro-ro ramp where they were triaged and survivor clearance operations were carried out.
Chief Ambulance Officer Mark Mapp said: The excercise went very well. It was good to see different agencies working together with a joint plan to save lives. To deal with an emergency you need to have a good and solid planand it must be tested so it can be reviewed and amended accordingly. There’s nothing like doing it in practice to build resilience.”
The scenario was based on a case study of the cruise ship Star Princess, which caught fire in 2006 with 2,690 passengers and 1123 crew on-board, while sailing to Jamaica from Grand Cayman. 
St John Ambulance Guernsey is delighted to be working with Guernsey FC again to promote lifesaving CPR as part international “Restart A Heart Day” on Sunday 16th October.
St John Ambulance Guernsey is delighted to be working with Guernsey FC again to promote lifesaving CPR as part international “Restart A Heart Day” on Sunday 16th October.
St John event first aid volunteers and St John Community First Responders will be at Footes Lane for the match against Uxbridge (KO 1300) demonstrating how to do CPR and use an AED when someone collapses and stops breathing. There will be opportunities for fans to get hands on before the match, at half time and after the full-time whistle.
St John Communications Officer Jim Cathcart said: “Anyone can be affected by a sudden cardiac arrest at any time and for every minute without intervention, the person’s chances of survival reduce significantly. CPR is a simple but life-saving skill and there are people in Guernsey today who would not be here if someone had not known what to do. Everyone in our community, has a role to play in the chain of survival, whether it’s by calling 999, doing chest compressions, locating a defibrillator, or by telling others what to do. Restart a Heart Day is about giving people the skills and confidence to help deliver simple but life-saving treatment.”
GFC director Nic Legg added: “CPR is something everyone should know. No-one wants to find themselves in that situation, but knowing what to do in an emergency can be the difference between a life saved and a life lost. Last year we had CPR and AED lessons with St John Training Services as part of our pre-season training, so we are delighted to be working with St John again this year and are grateful to the St John volunteers who have given their time to pass on their skills to our stewards, players and fans. We are also fortunate to have our own portable defibrillator pitch-side, purchased from St John after our training, thanks to generous support of three local companies. There is also a public access defibrillator at Footes Lane, unveiled by former Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba back in 2013.”
Guernsey FC has also given free admission to the match against Uxbridge to all St John volunteers and Emergency Ambulance Service crews to thank them for their service to the community.
Restart A Heart week is an annual initiative led by the Resuscitation Council UK, in partnership with other charities and ambulance services. In Guernsey Restart A Heart week is supported by the Guernsey Cardiac Action Group, the Emergency Ambulance Service, St John Training Services and St John Ambulance volunteers.
Steve Ford, Head of Emergency Planning and Support at the Emergency Ambulance Service added: “In Guernsey we have been working hard to improve cardiac arrest survival rates. The Cardiac Action Group has provided basic training for thousands of islanders, we have a network of public access defibrillators, we have St John Community First Responders and a team of co-responders, and the 999 call takers at JESCC give CPR advice over the phone – but there is still more to do and the more people who have the skills and the confidence to do CPR and use an AED the better.”
According to the Resuscitation Council UK when someone has a cardiac arrest, performing immediate CPR can help double their chance of survival in some cases. Around 80% of out-of hospital cardiac arrest occur in the home, highlighting the potential benefit of family members being trained in CPR. Defibrillation within 3–5 minutes can produce survival rates as high as 50%–70%. The chance of surviving a cardiac arrest is tripled when an AED is available via a public-access defibrillation programme.
St John volunteers will also be assisting the Cardiac Action Group at their community-based sessions during the week leading up to Restart A Heart Day.
St John Training Services provides a full range of first aid courses for individuals and businesses. Contact info@stjohntraining.gg
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