St John Ambulance volunteers have come forward in their hundreds wishing to play their part in keeping members of the public safe throughout the period of national mourning and at ceremonial events, including Queen Elizabeth II’s lying in state and funeral.
The first aid and health response charity’s volunteers have been providing 24-hour medical support in London and Windsor since Friday. In London alone, from Wednesday 14 September, St John Ambulance will have 30 bases, from pop-up treatment centres to purpose-built temporary field hospital facilities in Hyde Park, St James’s Park and by Lancaster House
Mike Gibbons, Commissioner Operations for St John, said, “In our planning for this sad occasion, we estimated we’d need around a thousand volunteers, but more than double that have said they can make themselves available.
“As the Sovereign Head of our parent charity, the Order of St John, The Queen had a long history with St John Ambulance, and we are not at all surprised we have had such a positive response from our fantastic people willing to help.”
He added, “Our charity’s volunteers and employees are out there helping keep people as safe as possible as they pay their respects. I know all St John people will take great pride in doing so, and I’d like to thank all of them for their efforts.”
St John has extensive experience supporting major events, including the recent Platinum Jubilee, and mobilising thousands of volunteers across the country.
