Buckinghamshire volunteers recognised for first aid dedication
A St John Ambulance volunteer from Olney who stopped his car on the way to work to give life saving CPR to a mum-of-four, is amongst dozens of volunteers to be recognised at a special awards ceremony.
Various awards and trophies were presented to nearly 50 deserving volunteers, young and old, by Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, HM Lord Lieutenant for Buckinghamshire and President of the St John Ambulance County Priory Group, at the annual event which was held at Aylesbury University Technical College.
Olney volunteer Justin Crook received a ‘Director’s Commendation’ in recognition of his efforts to save the life of Milton Keynes mum Carmen Green in September 2014. She was suffering from an undiagnosed medical condition which caused her heart to stop as her husband was driving her to work. Justin saw the events unfold as he was driving passed and stopped his car, providing life saving resuscitation until the emergency services arrived.
Carmen, who was taken to hospital where she remained in a coma for two months, said: “One of the things the consultant treating me said was that I was lucky to be alive and I owe a huge thank-you to those who gave me CPR and treated me in those critical minutes after my heart stopped. Without my husband’s, Justin’s and the paramedics’ efforts I simply wouldn’t be here.”
Other award winners included Heather Robertson from Wendover Adults, who was given her award for 25 years of service. Also attending from Wendover Adults were Cheryl Leadbeater, Stephanie Martin, Fred Martin, Clare Malvisi, Wendy Warner, Katherine Ferguson, who were all recognised for their length of service or extraordinary number of hours they’d volunteered for over the last year.
Clocking up over five decades of volunteering with St John Ambulance and receiving her award on the night, was Margaret James from High Wycombe Adults, who becomes one of only a few volunteers in the South East to receive the prestigious ‘Laurel Leaf’ award, which is only given to those volunteers who have been with the charity for 52 years.
Judy Wright, Buckinghamshire County Priory Group Chair, said: “Our St John Ambulance volunteers are a truly remarkable group of people who give up so much of their own time to serving others.
“They don’t do it for medals or recognition. But our annual awards ceremony goes at least some way towards showing our appreciation for their invaluable work which in cases, such as for Carmen, is quite literally the difference between a life lost and a life saved.”
For more information on St John Ambulance’s work, including how to become a volunteer and details of training for the public, schools and businesses, visit www.sja.org.uk or call 0303 003 0101.