Getting involved

Becoming a first aider is just one way that someone can volunteer with St John Ambulance. We also have volunteer youth leaders and trainers and a variety of other roles that people can help out with.

We are always looking for people who would like to help. These are some of the ways you could help out:

• Behind the scenes we often need help with record keeping and administration which may include taking notes at meetings or helping to look after the finance paperwork

• There are also other jobs that need doing which include repairs and renovations to our buildings and vehicles or serving refreshments at first aid and training events.

• We also need people with fundraising skills to help us to generate the income to support our charitable outputs, and people who can help promote our work and can help us with publicity.

How much time do I have to commit?

We really value our volunteers in the West Midlands, and recognise that everybody has commitments outside of the organisation meaning that the time they can give to us is really precious.

If you want to be a first aider then we usually require you to complete a First aid at work course. We also require you to complete some other basic courses, such as Manual handling and possibly some training on Working safely with young people. These courses collectively take six days to complete, but we offer the courses in different ways to ensure that everyone can easily accommodate this commitment.

Once you have undertaken the initial training, the commitment you give to us is entirely up to you. Most people go on public first aid duty once or twice a month; our really keen members are out every weekend! Duties can last a from a couple of hours right up to full days.

Most local groups meet once a week, offering a training programme to extent your skills. How often you attend these meetings is up to you, but you are required to undertake an annual assessment of your first aid skills.

Other roles require different commimtments. Youth leaders and assistant roles require an initial commitment to do some Youth leader development training and a Working safely with young people course, and then regularly help at weekly meetings.

Do I have to pay to join St John Ambulance?

Different local groups have different policies, but most don't require a weekly subscription from adult members. If they do, it's a nominal charge to help with the rent of the building you meet in.

Uniforms are provided by St John Ambulance. Some groups ask for a contribution towards your uniform, others ask for a deposit.

Most Cadet and Badger groups ask for a donation to help with the running of the unit. This helps pay for the resources that the Cadets and Badgers use, as well as subsidise activities and the cost of rent etc. If you are a UK tax-payer, please make sure you complete a form so that we can claim the tax back on your donation.

In all cases, we believe that everyone should be able to participate in St John Ambulance, regardless of their ability to pay. If you feel that you are unable to make a contribution, please talk with the person in charge of your local group. We can provide financial assistance for young people to take part in our residential and camping events.