Berkshire's busiest week of the year
Members of St John Ambulance
in Berkshire have been working their busiest week of
the year at Royal Ascot where they have been taking care
of the medical needs of race goers and jockeys.
Emergency response
The UK’s leading first aid charity provide around 30 first
aiders nurses and ambulance technicians for each of
the five days of the high profile race meeting along
with emergency response ambulances and a vehicle dedicated
to the racetrack itself.
The atmosphere around the course during Royal Ascot is fantastic and the camaraderie between all the St John volunteers is always very special.
Robert Newman
Commissioner Operations, St John Ambulance Berkshire
Each of the members who attend Royal Ascot is a
volunteer and the majority of them take
holiday from their regular paid jobs in
order to represent St John at the prestigious event. Their duties
include providing first aid treatment to guests in The
Royal Enclosure and the parade ring and looking after
injured jockeys.
Robert Newman, Commissioner Operations says it is one of the
highlights in the St John Berkshire calendar: 'Although the team
are obviously at Ascot to work, they also have a great time
themselves. The atmosphere around the course during Royal Ascot is
fantastic and the camaraderie between all the St John volunteers is
always very special.'
Each day St John members can treat up to 50
people at Royal Ascot for a variety of ailments and
injuries. Hundreds of plasters are given out over the course of the
five days to guests (not just ladies) with blisters caused by new
shoes and often those visiting the various first aid posts are
suffering the effects of too much alcohol.
St John Berkshire also provides first aid support at all other
race meetings held at Ascot as well as many other events and are
always looking for new members to join them.