A volunteer who has given over half a century of service to St John Ambulance Cymru, alongside decades of community work for a range of other organisations in Powys, says he was “humbled and honoured” to be named in the latest King’s Birthday Honours list.
David Gardner, who is currently Assistant Chief Commissioner for the first aid charity for Wales, received an MBE for services to the community in Newtown, having devoted decades to keeping people safe at events from the Royal Welsh Show to royal weddings.
His contribution to his local area is not limited to his St John accomplishments, with over 50 years as a member of Newtown Silver Band, almost 20 years as a community first responder for the Welsh Ambulance Service, in addition to previous long-standing roles as an on-call firefighter and a football referee.
Since joining the St John Division in Newtown in 1967 as a Cadet aged six, David has fulfilled many roles, from Cadet Officer and Divisional Officer in Charge, to being County Secretary and Commissioner for Powys, before becoming Assistant Chief Commissioner as part of the national Senior Volunteer Team.
Having recently received a letter from the Cabinet Office detailing his inclusion in the latest honours list, he said:
“It took a couple of weeks to sink in. It wasn’t until it was announced I think the penny really dropped.
“I don’t think anybody joins for the recognition, but when it arrives you just reflect and feel so humbled and so honoured that somebody’s actually thought about you and put you forward for these awards.”
David is no stranger to prestigious honours, having been promoted to Knight of Grace of the Priory for Wales of the Order of St John in 2021 and received a Long Service Award for 50 years’ service in June 2026.
He said:
“When I reflect on my time with St John and other organisations as well, I probably didn’t realise it, but I obviously like being busy. But everybody’s got their own time that they can give.
“As a volunteer, I think anything that you can give is positive, whether it be just a few hours a week, that’s great.”
He also highlighted the importance of supporting St John Ambulance Cymru’s Children and Young People programmes and how they encourage people to learn skills that can help them later on in life, including those who want to pursue a career in healthcare.
He added:
“I’m a firm believer of supporting the youth. I was a Cadet, I know a lot of people that are adult members who have been in St John an awful long time that were Cadets.
“I can reflect on Cadets that have come through Powys that are now healthcare professionals, paramedics or senior paramedics. There’s a gentleman down in
Morriston, he’s an A&E consultant. He started in St John as a Cadet.”
He highlighted the upcoming Royal Welsh Show as one of the most significant events that St John Ambulance Cymru has supported during his tenure, with St John People due to provide 24-hour cover for the Help Point in Builth Wells and Penmaenau Campsite during the 2026 show.
David has also received two commendations for his lifesaving actions, one for an incident that took place during the Royal Welsh Show, and another for saving the life of a man who suffered a cardiac arrest at a Remembrance Day Parade in Newtown.Reflecting on the changes that have taken place within St John since he joined almost 60 years ago, he said:
“Back in the day, St John Ambulance was known as basically the bandage or plaster brigade, but we’re far from that now.
“The standard of training now, it’s up to a professional level, to the standard that it’s recognised.”
Asked what he’d say to anyone that was thinking of joining St John, either as a first aider or youth leader, he said:
“Come along and speak to us. If there’s an event in your area, there’s a good chance that St John are there.
“Come along, have a chat with us, or pop along to your local division and have a chat with the leaders.”
Speaking of the opportunities volunteering with St John has given him, he said:
“Between the sporting events and the music events with all the concerts, they’re great opportunities for people to go along and see big events as well as their local shows.”
Paul Griffiths OBE KStJ JP DL, the Prior for Wales and Chair of the Board of Trustees at St John Ambulance Cymru, said:
“We would like to congratulate David on receiving this prestigious honour in recognition of his decades of dedication to supporting his community, including his work on behalf of St John Ambulance Cymru at a local, county and national level.
“He has devoted thousands of hours of his spare time to keeping people in Wales safe and we are extremely grateful for his ongoing efforts on behalf of our charity.”
David added that he has no plans to hang up his first aid kit just yet and was due to return to the role of Commissioner for Powys in August, almost 60 years since he first signed up as a Cadet.
To find out more about volunteering with St John Ambulance Cymru visit www.sjacymru.org.uk/volunteer
Feature image: David Gardner KStJ, who received an MBE in the King’s recent Birthday Honours, received a Long Service Award for 50 years service to St John Ambulance Cymru in June 2026.
