St John Ambulance Interview with Val

Callaghan

IntroductionSt John Ambulance is very special to the Callaghan family. My Grandpa, who passed away 16 years ago, was a volunteer for 34 years and gave 11,500 hours of volunteer service. He received The Order of St John medal in 1986. St John Ambulance provide everything from first aid training to assistance during a natural disaster such as a flood. They even give their time to just visit lonely people in hospital. St John volunteers help people from the young to the old, rich or poor. They are passionate about helping others and love their community. St John Ambulance treat 60,000 people a year in Australia! I am proud of my Grandpa and the dedication he had to his community as well as the love he had for helping others. I spoke to my Granny to get a bit more information about St John Ambulance and what they do.

Who benefits?Lots of people benefit from the services of St John Ambulance but

mostly the medical staff at hospitals and the members of the community.

They are always there to help.

What does St John Ambulance

do?St John Ambulance provide first aid to the community for all events. These include concerts, sporting events, carnivals, festivals and school events.

How many people in the Community are involved ?It depends on the size of the town but Whyalla, where my Grandpa volunteered had 30 volunteers and junior cadets in the 1990’s. Currently, there are 12, 631 volunteers in Australia and they provide over 1 million hours of community service.

Are there any dangers to volunteers?Yes there is because sometimes they get threatened by drunk people or they may need to speed to get someone to hospital. St John Ambulance volunteers can face situations where people are in a serious condition and depend on the volunteers for their survival.

How often is St John called to helpA volunteer usually gives their time on a weekly basis, or if there is a large emergency as often as needed. Volunteers have shifts as well as being on call sometimes.

How well known is St John AMBULANCE?St John Ambulance is known by most people in the community. They have been working in Australia for 125 years so most people have heard of them. Volunteers are always needed though.

Do They Need Government funding? St John Ambulance is a self supporting organisation. They are a charity so rely on money donations from the community. This money goes towards all sorts of things including first aid training, equipment and a range of community services and programs.

Do St John need more publicity?They certainly do! It is important for people in the community to know about St John Ambulance and their role in the community. They rely on volunteers to keep the organisation going. We need to make people aware, especially young people. Australia currently has 3,600 Cadet volunteers. These are children between the ages of 11-18. They also have over 500 Junior members who are kids between the ages of 8-10. This is the future of St John Ambulance.

Personal experiences with St JohnSt John Ambulance is a very caring and helpful organisation that felt like family at times to the Callaghan family. They care about the community and are always there to help. The volunteers are very caring, supportive and passionate about helping others.

CONCLUSIONSo as you can see St John Ambulance is a very important organisation in our community. I never met my Grandpa, but after interviewing my Granny I am more aware of the valuable work that the St John Ambulance volunteers do every day. I am very proud of my Grandpa for his long years of service to St John, and for the many people he helped and the lives he saved.