St John Ambulance centennial

2020: A Year of Celebration for Orpington St John Ambulance Volunteers

2020 marks 100 years of the Orpington Unit of St John Ambulance providing training and fi rst aid services at events and it is now busy planning a year of celebrations of their centenary.

While St John Ambulance volunteers were active in Orpington during the First World War, it was not until 1920 that a formal unit was established. Since then continuous training sessions have been held for volunteers, fi rst aid has been provided at numerous events some that still run to this day, and fi rst aid training and demonstrations have been provided to members of the public.

Throughout the year of celebration, the Unit are planning a series of events for local residents to fi nd out more about the Orpington Unit and its history as well as an opportunity to learn fi rst aid with sessions planned to be held in January, May and October. Further details will be released shortly.

Unit Manager, John Matthews said, “We are incredibly proud to be celebrating our centenary of service to the Orpington community. It is thanks to our hard-working volunteers who have given their time for free over the past hundred years and many other supporters that we are able to celebrate 100 years and we hope to promote their service over the next year. The centenary also provides us with a perfect opportunity to fi nd out more about our history and how we have served the community.” John is keen to hear from anyone with any information, whether they volunteered for the Unit, or have been treated by its volunteers, or anybody who may have photographs of St John Ambulance volunteers in Orpington. “During the next year we will not just be looking to the past but also the future as we make plans to continue to serve the town of Orpington for the next 100 hundred years and implement the strategy St John Ambulance released on St John’s Day in 2019.” To provide your stories and photographs of the Unit or to fi nd out more about volunteering with St John Ambulance in Orpington, please contact John Matthews on John. Matthews1@SJA.org.uk. For more information on St John Ambulance, including how to make a donation, volunteering opportunities, and details of training for the public, schools and businesses, visit www.sja.org.uk or call 08700 10 49 50.

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