Museum exhibition to celebrate 90 years of ambulance service
22 May 2026
‘90 Years of Service’: Outdoor exhibition celebrates St John Ambulance & Rescue Service
2026 marks the 90th Anniversary of the creation of the St John Ambulance & Rescue Service.
To commemorate this milestone, Guernsey Museums & Galleries has partnered with the Ambulance Service to create ‘90 Years of Service’, a free outdoor display telling the story of those nine decades.
Located on the terrace outside Guernsey Museum at Candie Gardens, the series of large outdoor display panels tell the story of the service in words and images. The exhibition opens on 2 June, marking the actual anniversary of the start of the ambulance service.
Historic photographs from the archives of both the Ambulance & Rescue Service and Guernsey Museums & Galleries have been combined with historical research to tell the story of the service and its role through the years.
Visitors will be able to trace the service’s journey from its humble origins starting with one second-hand ambulance housed in a garage at a concrete works, to the large, comprehensive organisation the island relies on today.
Matt. Harvey, Senior Curator at Guernsey Museums & Galleries, said: “Guernsey Museums is delighted to be able to create a display representing such an important and venerated island organisation. The St John Ambulance & Rescue Service has been a lifeline to islanders since 1936 on both land and sea.
Everyone knows the Ambulance & Rescue Service – they are part of the island landscape. But I hope that the display will give visitors a deeper appreciation of their amazing work and highlight the energy, dedication and initiative that their members have shown over the last 90 years. I hope people will discover the many examples of how the service has led the way in the development of innovative and ground-breaking advances in emergency response and first-aid care over the years.”
Dean de la Mare, Head of Operations at St John Ambulance & Rescue Service, said: “2nd June marks a significant date in the island’s history as the anniversary of the first ambulance leaving the Rohais station and responding to an emergency call. This exhibition tells the story of the pioneering work of Reg Blanchford through to the modern pre-hospital healthcare service that delivers paramedic-led care today. It has been a great joint project working with Guernsey Museums and our team of contributors, and I am very excited to see the exhibition open to the public.”
