The St John Ambulance service currently has nearly 730 volunteers across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire with 22,000 volunteers across the country who train nearly half a million people in first aid every year. These volunteers run training sessions for everyone from school children to the elderly.
Peter Howie, District Manager for St John Ambulance in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire said:
“Learning first aid when you’re young is absolutely essential and St John is delighted that after years of lobbying the government have now agreed to introduce it as part of the core curriculum in schools.” and that “First aid is a skill that can save lives and children as young as 3 or 4 can learn first aid skills and you often hear the stories of young people calling the ambulance service when their parents or family are ill.”
“You often hear the stories of young people calling the Ambulance service when their parents or family are ill.” – Peter Howie
“We have St John badgers and cadets who are trained by St John as first aiders but also gain a lot of personal development skills and many of our young people will grow up to work in health and social care professions.”
However he also stressed the importance of older people learning first aid especially during the colder weather in order to help reduce the winter pressures on the NHS, with Lincolnshire receiving yellow weather warning for snow and ice till the end of the week. He said: “if people have basic first aid skills then there are many people you can treat with basic first aid and not require to go into minor injuries or A&E departments.”
LSJ News also talked to Kirsty Raywood, Head of Training Sales at the Lincolnshire charity LIVES which also provides first aid training to people in Lincolnshire. She said “We know that 1 in 7 young people aged between 11 and 16 have been in an emergency situation and first aid qualifications can be invaluable to young people. It can boost their confidence and self esteem, teenagers are some of the best rescuer’s because of their willingness to help, and their general sense of fearlessness.”
LIVES offers a range of courses including paediatric first aid, life support training and first response emergency care as well as helping their 700+ volunteers attend emergency calls across Lincolnshire which helped just under 26,000 people in 2017.