On Friday, Warrington South MP Andy Carter paid a visit to St John Ambulance’s Warrington Ambulance Hub, meeting with the ambulance crews, volunteers and staff to discuss their operations in the area. The MP was given a tour of the ambulance fleet and an overview of the services that operate out of the Hub as well as their clinical education training courses.
The Warrington Ambulance Hub opened in April 2022 after winning the contract to supply neonatal and paediatric services across the North West. As the nation’s ambulance auxiliary, St John supplies nine bespoke C1 vehicles each day to Connect North-West (CNW) and North-West and North Wales Paediatric Transport Service (NWTS) from the hub. They also provide resources for North-West Ambulance Service delivering frontline support across the region.
Warrington is also used as a National Training Centre for St John’s Emergency Ambulance Crew internal training programme. The hub is also used for volunteer activity and supports the work St John Ambulance does on local events in the community.
St John Ambulance has further expanded the range of volunteering opportunities available to people aged 5 to 25. In 2022, 1,600 Cadets provided over 46,600 hours of first aid. During his visit Andy Carter had the opportunity to meet Sonali Koku Hannadige, who was named St John’s Regional Cadet of the Year for the North West.
Following his visit, Andy Carter MP said:
“A huge thanks to the team at St John Ambulance in Warrington who invited me to learn more about the work they do across the region and the lifesaving training they offer to thousands of people each year. This is a great mix of highly trained volunteers and full time staff who work alongside NHS staff to provide medical cover at events and through centrally agreed contracts with Hospital and Ambulance Trusts.
“St John Ambulance is also a growing youth movement, and I was very pleased to hear about all the amazing services they offer to enable young people to learn lifesaving skills from primary school through to university. Passing on these skills and expertise is helping to create the next generation of lifesavers, and I would encourage anyone who’s keen to learn more to go on St John’s website and see what’s available.”
Paula Parkinson Ambulance Operations Manager for North Region said:
“We were delighted to welcome Andy Carter MP to our Warrington Ambulance Hub to meet with staff and volunteers. As the nation’s ambulance auxiliary, we welcomed his support for our work to provide neonatal and paediatric services in the North West, alongside supporting North West Ambulance Service in delivering frontline support across the region.
“St John Ambulance supports the NHS and local communities through emergency ambulance provision, volunteering in hospitals, as well as providing community operations that reduce pressure on NHS services. We know that community first aid saves lives, that’s why we are actively recruiting first aiders and youth leaders who are an integral part of the community. We encourage people of all ages to get involved and help save lives.”
Those wanting to find out more about the work of St John Ambulance, looking to become a volunteer or interested in learning more about first aid can find details here: https://www.sja.org.uk
