St John Volunteers save Wales over £1million (Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats)

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Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats <montlibdems@gmail.com>

St John Volunteers save Wales over £1million

August 5, 2009 12:00 AM

Montgomeryshire AM Mick Bates has praised the hard work of the St John Ambulance as annual figures from Wales' leading first aid charity show that volunteers saved Wales more than £1million in 2008.

The charity's 4,500 members gave over 220,000 hours of their time to saving the lives of others at public duties last year, which would have cost Wales £1.26 million, if worked out at minimum wage.

In the St John Cymru Wales Annual Review, published Wednesday, 5 August, over 21,000 people in Wales were trained in lifesaving first aid techniques and the work carried out by St. John volunteers in Zambia, South Africa, was also highlighted.

The Review highlights the extent of the work that St John carries out every year in our Welsh communities. Last year, St John Cymru Wales, Patient Transport Service transported over 17,000 patients, many on behalf of NHS Wales, to-and-from hospital and across Wales - an increase of 6,000 since 2007.

Welsh Liberal Democrat AM Mick Bates stated:

"The excellent work of St John Ambulance is vital to our communities and I have deep respect and gratitude for the many volunteers who give up their time to save the lives of others.

In rural areas in particular where ambulances often take longer to arrive on scene, St John volunteers can often be the difference between life and death, as they arrive on the scene quickly and provide essential care to those in need.

I am pleased that this review is bringing light to the very valuable work of the St John Ambulance which plays such an important role in patient care in communities across Wales."

Keith Dunn, Chief Executive for St John Wales, said:

"St John in Wales is one of our best kept secrets, our Annual Review highlights just some of the many varied activities that the charity carries out. Our volunteers donate an incredible amount of time to the work of the charity, and communities across Wales are richer as a result."

Notes:

For more information or a copy of the St John Cymru Wales Annual Review and

Accounts please call 02920 449 500.

For more information please call Keith Dunn on 029 2044 9645 or 07967 629781

St John Cymru Wales receives no core government funding and is a National Charity in its own right.

St John has more than 4,500 volunteers who dedicate more than 200,000 hours of community service to the public in Wales every year.

Many events in Wales cannot take place without First Aid resource and last year more than 10,000 events in Wales were supported by St John Wales.

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