A young St John Ambulance first aider from Bradley Stoke has been named one of the charity’s Cadets of the Year, following a weekend of closely fought competition.
Cadets were under pressure throughout, being interviewed, delivering presentations, working together in team tasks, and – most importantly – their first aid skills assessed.
In total, 29 Cadets from all over the South West entered the competition and the final marks were very close, with just one point between first and second places in some cases, but the five winners were:
- Ann Rose Biju (Bradley Stoke)
- Lucy Scott (Cullompton)
- Jay Fox (Camborne)
- Serena Cobb (Stroud)
- Oliver Ivemy (Salisbury)
Ann, aged 15, is a pupil at St Bede’s Catholic College, Bristol and a volunteer with St John Ambulance’s Bradley Stoke unit.
“Being given a chance to participate in the South West Regional Cadet of the Year competition was a wonderful opportunity, as I was able to meet with many other talented cadets and adults and also able to develop many new skills whilst having a lot of fun,” said Ann.
“St John Ambulance has given me a lot of new experiences and also has helped me make many new friends as well as giving me the ability to help others through first aid.”
“I have used my knowledge on a number of occasions, including treating at duties, in school and educating the public.”
Ann and her fellow cadets will take up their posts in early 2016 and each Cadet of the Year from across the country will then attend an event in April, where the national and regional winners will be decided.
Dave Christophers, regional youth manager, said:
“The weekend was excellent and to see so many enthusiastic young people, each with their own unique story to tell, was incredible.”
“The entire team were amazed by the effort and commitment that each candidate showed to St John Ambulance.”
The youngsters will be ambassadors for the charity and help set the direction of St John Ambulance’s youth services in 2016.
Photo: Ann Rose Biju (centre), with outgoing Cadet of the Year Stephanie Harvey and regional youth manager Dave Christophers.
This article originally appeared in the January 2016 edition of the Bradley Stoke Journal news magazine, delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to 9,500 homes in Bradley Stoke, Little Stoke and Stoke Lodge. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.
POSTSCRIPT: A St John Ambulance spokesperson added: “Our hugely successful Cadet units in north Bristol & South Gloucestershire are full to bursting at the moment, but we could accommodate more young people if we were able to recruit more youth leaders. Recruitment for those voluntary roles is via the St John Ambulance website: www.sja.org.uk/supportingyouth
Well done young lady, a credit to yourself and your family.
Well done. A credit to your generation and a role model