The Hospitality of St John.

The hospitality of St John was in great evidence last night as a number of St John Ambulance cadets planned, prepared and hosted a drinks party for guests with very exacting standards… St John Ambulance’s Surrey County President, Dr Julie Llewelyn DL; Chief Nursing Officer, Chief Commander & Chancellor, Andrew Latham KStJ DL; and me.

The drinks party formed part of the Cadet Leader course for the older St John Ambulance cadets, which took place this weekend. It was an exercise in planning and attending formal events, as well as public speaking. The cadets did brilliantly. They had decorated the venue, prepared and served canapés and non-alcoholic drinks, and delivered a short welcome speech. Hosting guests, making conversation and speaking in front of a room are skills that many adults find daunting, and the reception introduced them to these skills in a supportive way. These skills will serve the cadets well at civic functions, award ceremonies and, later, in interviews and the workplace.

In the meantime, the younger cadets took part in a major incident learning experience. The exercise was run twice. At first, the exercise was deliberately chaotic, and the instructors gave the cadets little or no guidance. Once the exercise had run its course, the group stopped for a debrief to consider what had gone wrong and what could have been done better. The exercise was then re-run, so that the cadets could see the improvement for themselves. Making mistakes in a controlled environment lets the cadets learn from them without real-world consequences.

St John Ambulance is a first aid charity whose volunteers provide vital services across England. They give free first aid cover at events from concerts to sports fixtures, teach life-saving skills to workplaces, schools and the public, and support the NHS and emergency services in times of crisis. Founded in 1877, the charity has a simple belief: no one should suffer for lack of first aid knowledge.

Its youth programme, the St John Ambulance Cadets, is open to young people aged ten to seventeen. Meeting weekly in local units, cadets learn practical skills such as CPR, defibrillator use and treating bleeding, burns and fractures. They also build confidence, teamwork and a sense of service, and many go on to become adult volunteers for St John Ambulance. Older cadets can take on leadership roles and are trained to do so on the Cadet Leader courses. The courses aim to support young people developing into confident and capable individuals who can lead teams, communicate clearly and stay calm under pressure. These qualities will help them not only as first aiders, but also in life.