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Thanks to all those First Aiders

Wimbledon, Premiership football, cricket at Lords, the British Grand Prix, even local CountyYouth Games� When crowds gather for the summer�s top sporting events, a section of sport volunteers who are often overlooked are there, on the front line, keeping people safe � the St John�s Ambulance.

First aid volunteers are trained to treat all sorts of injuries ranging from headaches to heart attacks. They�re often first to arrive at the scene of an accident, and provide essential support until the emergency services arrive. They use their skills to provide first aid treatment at public events, from village fetes to rock concerts and more often than not sporting events.

For St John Ambulance, the British Grand Prix is one of the year's biggest public events, with over 500 volunteers involved over the course of the week. At last year�s Flora London Marathon, 1400 volunteers treated over 5,000 participants. At Wimbledon, volunteers remind the 30,000 spectators to stay safe in the sun.

Football fan Russell Brookes joined the organisation when a friend told him he�d see Premiership games for free. �Some might have disapproved at my motivations, but a few months later I was sitting in some of the country�s finest football grounds as a volunteer first aider with St John Ambulance. From that moment on I was hooked, and gradually first aid became a passion too. The situations I�ve witnessed showed me how important it is for everyone to have some first aid knowledge.�

To become a first aider with St John Ambulance, you�ll need to commit to weekly meetings, training sessions and attend events on a monthly basis. The events you attend will depend on what�s on in your local area. You don�t need any previous experience, as full training is provided. Once you�re trained, your skills can be used in a variety of settings outside of St John Ambulance, such as emergencies in the home or depending on the training you have undertaken, in the work place. The more experience you get, the more advanced training you can receive.

St John Ambulance also has a range of other volunteer opportunities besides being a first aider. Volunteers can assume a support role, such as a youth leader, trainer, driver, recruiter or fundraiser or become involved in one of our community projects. These roles help ensure that they can continue to provide the front line first aiders at our favourite sporting events.

If you are interested in getting involved you can find out how by visiting www.sja.org.uk/sja