LAST year they put in around 2,000 voluntary hours, despite receiving not a single penny in funding. Meanwhile, their membership has increased almost five fold over the past three years. Meet the Strabane branch of St John Ambulance.
Formed back in 1910, the Strabane division of St John Ambulance was one of the first to be founded in Ireland. Today, the charity is headed up Jean Shields, who in December will have served 52 years with the local branch. For reaching the landmark, Jean will become only the fourth person in the UK to receive the prestigious Golden Leaf award. There are currently 28 members on the Strabane St John Ambulance books, all working voluntary providing much needed support to the emergency services. In recent times local members have been called upon for duty at the Isle of Man TT Races and the Manx Grand Prix. Shortly members will be covering international rugby matches at Twickenham and it is likely that some volunteers will help out during the 2012 London Olympics.
This week, the Strabane Chronicle caught up with the volunteers who give so freely of their time to ensure the safety of the public across Strabane, the North West and beyond.
Student nurse Darren McMenamin has been involved with the local branch for the past three years.
He explained, "My sister joined St John Ambulance three years ago and I tagged along. I've been a member ever since and through what I've learned and the opportunities it has provided, I have gone back to study as a nurse.
"The general perception of St John Ambulance is that we are simply on hand to hand out plasters and sympathy. But it is so much more. We are subject to call-out by the statutory bodies in the event of a major incident and last year we put in almost 2,000 voluntary hours helping out at major sporting events and concerts. Even here in Strabane, members can qualify in the use of an AED defibrillator, medical gases, ambulance aid, first aid and child protection. On top of that, you get to travel. So, it really is a fantastic opportunity to learn and broaden your horizions totally free of charge right on your doorstep," Darren said.
Commenting on the simple skills that can be picked up in a short time but could mean the difference between life and death, the student nurse continued, "During an eight week course you would pick up how to administer proper shock, CPR and blood treatments. Much of what we are taught is common sense like never move an accident victim and always check that the airways are clear but unfortunately people just don't know how to cope in certain situations and they panic. What St John Ambulance teaches you can literally mean the difference between life and death."
Following the death of two schoolboys on Tyrone gaelic pitches recently, the GAA have expressed an interest in St John members attending games. But as Darren explained, funding is always a major issue for the charity.
"Another perception of ourselves is that we are part of the NHS, but we aren't. We are an independent charity who receive no funding whatsoever. We recently purchased a defibrillator and all the funding for that was raised by ourselves through flag days and other events. Funding is always an issue for ourselves, especially in Strabane where there isn't that much money. We recently approached Strabane District Council for help but they told us there was nothing they could do. We know there is a lot of bodies vying for aid, but it makes life difficult sometimes.
"With regards to helping out at GAA matches, we would need an ambulance. The Omagh division has one, as does Derry but we don't. It would cost around £70,000 and we simply don't have that kind of money. Basically, if a local club put in a request for a duty from ourselves, we would look at our resources and do a risk assessment and then decide," he said.
So what does the future hold for the local St John Ambulance team?
"We hope to consolidate our resources and continue to grow. Three years ago there was just six members in the division, today there is 28, ranging from 16 years old to 65 plus. We are completely cross-community and non-denominational. Obviously we are far from ageist and we have disabled members who regularly help out too. So absolutely anyone can get involved and the more members we have, the more cover we can provide. Speaking from experience, I would urge anyone who can spare a few hours to get involved," Darren said.
At present, St John Ambulance, Strabane, meet every Wednesday night at 7.30pm in the St Vincent de Paul office on Barrack Street where they are put through their paces by Dr Aiden McMenamin. The organisation is always on the look out for recruits so if you think you would like to get involved simply go along next week. Alternatively, you can contact Darren at darren.mcmenamin@ni.sja.org.uk or superintendent-strabane@ni.sja.org.uk.
