Shining light on work of St John volunteers

MARCH 23 marked the anniversary of the first Covid-19 lockdown and readers will be very aware of the huge and continuing efforts to tackle the pandemic by our colleagues in the NHS, our St John Ambulance volunteers and many other organisations nationwide. Details of our work over the past 12 months can be found on our website, www.sja.org.uk

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all these groups in Derbyshire for their ongoing work to keep us safe and help us move carefully into the post-Covid period – whether they are working in vaccination centres, training vaccinators, working in hospitals, crewing ambulances or providing a wide range of other vital services in their communities.

We should all also take some time to remember those who lost their lives over the past 12 months.

Another date we will soon be marking is St John’s Day on June 24. Traditionally, our volunteers and staff have used this as an opportunity to reflect on the work of our charity around the country and take part in an annual service of rededication in the magnificent surroundings of St Paul’s Cathedral. This year, coronavirus will once again make this impossible.

Last year we observed St John’s Day in a variety of new and different ways because of the pandemic, and one of the most visible events was the lighting up in green of more than 40 buildings and landmarks around the country. We are hoping that many more buildings will light up in green in 2021 and, if you are a building owner or custodian and would like to get involved in this year’s event, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us at communityfundraising@sja.org.uk to find out more and register your interest.

Readers who wish to help us with a donation can also take part in our new Spring into Action campaign and support our volunteers as they continue to step forward to give vital support to those in need across the country. Please visit www.sja.org.uk/spring.

St John Ambulance is immensely grateful for the support it has received from everyone in these difficult times.

Dr Cheryle Berry, chair, St John

Priory Group (Derbyshire)