Every year the St John Ambulance and Rescue Service receives cards, emails and letters of thanks and appreciation from patients, carers and their families for the care and compasion given by our clinicians.
Greg and Kelly share the accolade for 2023 and they both received the Chief Ambulance Officer’s Recognition of Performance Award for their achievement.
Kelly is a Preventative Care Paramedic, working in a partnership project with Guernsey’s health and social care department promoting physical health and wellbeing and supporting independence and safety at home.
Greg is a full-time paramedic with Guernsey’s emergency ambulance service and a volunteer Community First Responder.
The award was presented to them jointly, by Marc Farror, Chairman of St John Ambulance and Rescue Service, Guernsey.
Posted: January 11, 2024
Displays will include a 4 x 4 off-road vehicle, ambulance equipment, major incident tent and first aid skills. There will also be live demonstrations and a rare opportunity to go aboard the Flying Christine III marine ambulance. The vessel will be alongside in the Victoria marina and the volunteer crew will be on hand to provide guided tours.
The special event will also feature the popular variety of Seafront Sunday stalls, family activities, attractions, food outlets, arts & crafts and market traders.
Heather Langlois, Chief Executive Officer of the St John Ambulance Guernsey charity said: “St John offers so many services in the Bailiwick and many of these operate quietly behind the scenes. This will be a great opportunity to highlight these services and to show islanders all of the great work that the St John organisation does”.
“Seafront Sundays are a great day out for the whole family and this will be a chance for people to enjoy all that the event has to offer as well as find out what St John is all about, to meet our dedicated teams and to see first-hand just what we do”.
Chief Executive Officer of St John Ambulance & Rescue Service, Mark Mapp added: “The Flying Christine III is a purpose built marine ambulance, which has been serving the Bailiwick for nearly 30 years. We are delighted to be able to invite visitors onboard the Flying Christine III to learn more about this essential lifeline service. The Seafront Sunday is also an opportunity for us to say thank you to islanders for their support.”
St John Ambulance has been active in Guernsey since the 1930s, initially with the teaching of first aid courses before evolving in to the St John organisation we know today. Throughout its history, St John Guernsey has served the Bailiwick by delivering care and compassion, reflecting the enduring charitable promise of the worldwide Order of St John to serve humanity.
Today the St John Ambulance Guernsey charity and the St John Ambulance & Rescue service provide the Badgers and Cadets youth programme, adult volunteers, event first aid, a community library, Community First Responders (CFRs), Caring Callers, first aid in schools Volunteer Ambulance Reserve, a Cycle Response Unit (CRU), the ambulance service in Guernsey and Alderney, medical outreach to the whole Bailiwick with the Flying Christine marine ambulance and major incident responses for the islands.
St John Training Services also delivers a wide range of courses as the Bailiwick’s leading provider of first aid training.
The St John Seafront Sunday event takes place on Sunday 24th September from 10am-4pm and further details can be found at www.ambulance.gg/seafront-sunday
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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