st john ambulance cymru - gwent county training
It officially began for us in 1918 after our volunteers, who were recruited into
the 130th Field Ambulance, returned from France where they’d helped treat
soldiers on the battlefields of the First World War. It was the hard work and
dedication of those volunteers, at home and overseas, that earned Wales it’s
very own St John Priory, based in Cardiff. After the war, our volunteers
continued to provide first aid treatment in Cardiff and the surrounding valleys,
including taking care of the war wounded and rehabilitation of returning St John
Ambulance Cymru volunteers. Since then we've been there for people through some
of the country’s highs and lows, from providing support at the Aberfan disaster,
to being pitch-side as Wales won Grand Slams. As the need for first aid
developed, so did we. The organisation set up the first Ambulance Service for
Wales and in 1974 we were the first organisation to take first aid treatments
and emergency response into the heart of communities, by introducing mobile
treatment units - something we still do today. The tradition of delivering first
aid hasn’t wavered, and while our 4,000 volunteers are no longer needed on the
battlefield, they support at a different type of field – the sporting field. As
proud medical cover providers for the Principality Stadium, we help keep the
public safe during events – including the world’s biggest sporting event; the
Champions League Finals when they came to Cardiff in 2017. A nation of
lifesavers St John Ambulance Cymru believe everyone should learn basic first aid
skills. Since the beginning we've trained people in first aid at work and in
communities. Accessibility to first aid training was improved after we made the
Preliminary Course in First Aid and Nursing available in Welsh, and in 1923 the
organisation set up the first Cadet Brigade in Wales, meaning for the first
time, children and young people in Wales had the opportunity to learn lifesaving
skills. St John Ambulance Cymru Badger and Cadet Youth Programmes are now a
staple of our work, teaching those aged 5-17 how to save a life and providing
the perfect springboard for our healthcare professionals of the future. Today,
we're proud to train over 30,000 people in first aid skills every year. Training
everyone from school children to multi-million pound businesses, and working
towards a Wales where no one dies because they needed first aid and didn’t get
it.
