St John Ambulance honours long-serving supporters

A long serving volunteer with St John Ambulance and a senior member of staff with the Isle of Man Ambulance and Paramedic Service were invested into the Order of St John.

Kath Barrett and Russell Thornhill have been admitted to the Order by Her Majesty the Queen in recognition of their outstanding contribution to St John Ambulance Isle of Man. The Order is the parent charity of St John Ambulance and is a faith-based humanitarian organisation. It can trace its roots back to the 11th Century and carries out work in 40 countries. The Queen is the head of the Order and grants membership.

Thank you to Isle of Man Newspapers for the picture.

The investiture was carried out by His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor, Adam Wood, at Government House and saw Kath and Russell become Serving Sister and Serving Brother, respectively, of the Order.

Long service celebrated

Mum of two Kath, who lives in Onchan, has been a member of St John Ambulance for 17 years and has led the Laxey sett of St John Ambulance’s Badgers – young first aiders aged five to 10 – for many years. The children have nicknamed her ‘Mother Earth’ for the way she looks after them. She recently took on responsibility for Rushen Badgers too.

Kath also caters for many of St John Ambulance’s training events, only ever claiming for the ingredients. She’s a stalwart supporter of fund-raising events and flag days.

Her citation states: ‘Because of her quiet efficiency, it is so easy to miss her dedication and the many hours voluntary service, above and beyond those required by her role.’

Two years ago, membership of the Order was widened to include those outside St John Ambulance who make a significant contribution to the charity.

This allowed St John Ambulance officials locally to put forward Steve Sieling, Chief Ambulance Officer, and Russell Thornhill, Deputy Chief Ambulance Officer with the Ambulance and Paramedic Service.

Steve was invested into the Order in London in December, but Russell, who lives in Glen Vine, was unable to attend that ceremony, so was honoured at this investiture.

Imparting key skills

Russell is involved in training St John Ambulance members in skills that bring them into line with the Ambulance Service, especially when attending motorsports events, ensuring a seamless handover of patients. He also assists with Community First Responder training and assessments.

His citation states: ‘His enthusiasm is infectious, motivating even our oldest hands to upgrade their skills and to retrain on new equipment. Although not a member, the credibility he brings to St John Ambulance makes him worth his weight in gold.’

There are 30,000 members of the Order worldwide. For more information, visit The Order of St John.

For further information about St John Ambulance Isle of Man or to find out how to sign up for first aid courses, volunteer or to support its work via donations, please ring 01624 674387.