Have a heart and help the Island’s leading life-saving charity

Have a heart and help the Island’s leading life-saving charity – that’s the message from St John Ambulance Isle of Man this Valentine’s Day.

Friends of St John Ambulance Isle of Man launches this February

It costs £300,000 a year or £822 a day to run the charity. For just £10 a year, you can help fund the vital work it does teaching people how to save lives and facilitating large and small events all over the island.

TT  star Conor Cummins – who has kindly agreed to be the charity’s first Friend – visited St John Ambulance Isle of Man headquarters today to receive his certificate from Dr Iain Kewley, Commander, and other senior figures in the charity.

St John Ambulance delivers life-saving courses of all kinds at heavily subsidised rates, provides first aid vital cover at events all over the Island and recruits, trains and equips Community First Responders, who are often first at the scene when someone takes ill in a rural area and is awaiting an ambulance.

Its sole sources of income is the money it makes from commercial training, the small sums it charges organisers of some non-charitable events when providing cover and the donations and legacies it receives.

It costs £15,000 a year to run each of its two ambulances, while equipping a Community First Responder uses up £2,250. The overheads for the training centre alone costs £2,000 a month in the winter, when fuel bills are higher.

Befriending scheme to boost much needed funds

Dr Kewley said that, like other charities, St John Ambulance Isle of Man was experiencing a downturn in income due to the financial climate but needed to carry on delivering its life-saving messages and manning events that are a key part of community life in the Island.

It’s hoped anyone who has benefited from St John Ambulance at an event, has enjoyed its training or simply wants to support its work will sign up as a Friend.

‘How often do you get the chance to save a life for £10?’ Dr Kewley said. ‘All monies raised by the Friends of St John Ambulance will be used to save lives by keeping our first aid volunteers equipped when on duty, supporting our Community First Responders and teaching the public how to deal with emergencies.

‘£10 will pay the cost of training materials to teach someone how to give first aid. As our national slogan goes, please help us to be the difference between a life lost and a life saved.’

Manx road racing star Conor, 25, who has notched up three podium places in the TT, said he was delighted to help launch the Friends of St John Ambulance Isle of Man.

‘I’m really pleased to be associated with the Friends of St John Ambulance because I have been on the receiving end of treatment from a St John crew when I was younger, racing my motocross bike, so it’s a no brainer for me to put something back in and support this great idea,’ Conor said.

To join the Friends of St John Ambulance Isle of Man, please email the Membership Secretary on ceo@sja.org.im, phone 01624 674387, or call into its headquarters in Glencrutchery Road.