24 February 2022
Waveney MP supports Local Lifesavers’ recruitment campaign

Waveney MP Peter Aldous was welcomed to the Lowestoft St John Ambulance Headquarters in Oxford Road on Wednesday where he met volunteers who gave demonstrations of their lifesaving work and briefed him on their latest recruitment campaign.

Jonathan Jones, Cadet Unit Leader, explained St John's work with young people: How the St John Ambulance Cadet programmes (including NHS Cadets and Young Responders) teach young people valuable first aid skills and support many of them to pursue healthcare careers.

He then met members of the local St John Fellowship in the Heritage Centre. 2022 is a milestone year for St John Ambulance in Lowestoft with three important anniversaries: It is 80 years since the “Wallers Raid”, the worst air raid in the Town of the Second World War, in which St John Volunteers served with great bravery. It is also 80 years since the St John Cadet Unit was formed in Lowestoft and 60 years since St John moved into their current Headquarters in Oxford Road.

Presentations of Certificates of Thanks were made to Maxine Mitchell, who had recently stepped down as Unit Manager for Cadets, and to Mrs Wendy Hunt. Mrs Hunt’s late husband Barrie was Superintendent of the Beccles Division for many years and has generously supported the work of St John in Lowestoft since her husband passed away last year.

Paul Hughes, Unit Manager, and volunteers Gareth Jinkerson and Steve Williams talked Mr Aldous through the clinical training for St John volunteers and their role supporting the nation during the pandemic in the vaccination programme, on ambulances and in hospitals.

Mr Aldous was also shown one of the new, state-of-the art, MAN TGE box body emergency ambulances, each costing £105,000, which have recently been deployed by St John Ambulance in its work in support of the NHS and at events across the Country. The functions of the local St John Cycle Response Unit (CRU) were explained by CRU Lead, Martin Robbins.

Speaking after the visit Peter Aldous said

“I am very pleased to give my support to St John Ambulance. St John volunteers are very active in promoting the importance of first aid and delivering vital medical services, at events and in the community. I encourage local people to support them by volunteering for SJA.”

Lee Taylor, District Manager of St John Ambulance, explained:

“We were delighted to welcome Mr Aldous to our Lowestoft HQ, to explain what we do as a charity. We are best known for our presence at events and providing first aid courses, but we offer so much more than this. Visits such as this give valuable publicity and encourage more people to support us: in fundraising, donations, volunteering or by using our courses and services. Right now we are recruiting for Event First Aid Volunteers and also Youth Leaders in the North Suffolk area. If you would like to know more, visit our website or click on our QR code “

 

For more information visit the St John Ambulance website:

www.sja.org.uk/get-involved/