St John Ambulance Cymru has celebrated a major milestone as three volunteers from Aberystwyth University become the first in Wales to qualify as Event Responders, setting the standard for the charity’s future-ready clinical workforce
Charlotte Johnson, Poppy Willis and Harry Marsh are part of the first wave of volunteers to complete the new Event Responder skill level, a role introduced to ensure the organisation meets updated national guidance and continues to deliver the highest standards of care at events across Wales. The achievement marks months of additional training, assessments and determination.
For Charlotte, who has been part of the St John family since the age of five, the new qualification represents both personal growth and professional pride.
“I joined St John as a Badger because I decided when I was four that I wanted to be a doctor,” she explained in an interview for the official St John Ambulance Cymru podcast, Just in Case: Stories from St John.
“I don’t know really what made me decide that. My family put me into St John as a Badger to learn first aid and everything, and I just really enjoyed it.”
After progressing through Badgers and Cadets, earning her Super Badger Award and Grand Prior Award, Charlotte rejoined while studying at university in 2023. When the opportunity to become an Event Responder arose, she knew she wanted to take it on.
“It was a really proud moment getting those role bars,” she said. “Knowing that we’re the first ones in Wales to have that and to do it. It’s also quite daunting because currently, we are the first of a number of members working hard to complete this programme by the 1st March.”
The new qualification requires volunteers to expand their clinical knowledge, complete specialist modules and pass a comprehensive assessment.
For Harry, who joined just over a year ago, the leap forward was significant.
“There were a lot of new skills to learn to get this new role,” he explained. “So, I’m just excited to have that new knowledge, really.” He acknowledges that change can feel daunting, especially for those already operating at a high level.
“It’s interesting, especially when there are others who maybe are just starting or have been in a while, to have such a wide scope.
It’s daunting,” Harry added. “I’ve already had some friends from other divisions asking what the assessment was like and how scary it was. I’ve just tried to be honest. It’s daunting, and it’s all new. It’s really just a case of giving it a go.”
The Event Responder role has been introduced in response to updated national guidance and is designed to enhance clinical capability across duties. Poppy believes the impact on patient care will be significant, saying:
“I think it’s going to improve the care that we can provide massively. Everyone on duty is going to have a higher skill level and be able to do more things to treat patients and have more knowledge surrounding that. And that can only be a good thing.”
One of the most valuable elements of the programme for the trio was its stronger emphasis on mental health and safeguarding. Charlotte reflected:
“It was good that there was more emphasis put on mental health awareness and risk management. To have proper training led by mental health professionals on what to do if you come across a patient with mental health needs, which more and more often we are, I think that was a really good thing and really good for the organisation.”
Poppy highlighted the programme’s broad scope.
“The programme is so varied, with so many different things, it’s always going to be helpful no matter what type of patient you’re treating,” she said.
“We did a ten-second triage, major incident simulation and violence and aggression training. It’s good to know you have those skills if you ever come across things like that.”
For all three, qualifying as Event Responders is about more than a new badge.
“It’s a huge honour,” Charlotte said. “St John Ambulance Cymru is the first aid charity for Wales. To be the first ones in Wales to hold this current skill level and be able to go on duties and help people as an Event Responder is a huge honour.”
Poppy described the achievement simply.
“It feels really good to have done it.”
And for Harry, it is about continuing to serve.
“Being able to continue to do the thing that I love outside of work, that’s what it means,” he said. “Getting that level that allows me to keep being on duty and keep doing what we’re doing is key.”
St John Ambulance Cymru provides lifesaving support at events across Wales and delivers first aid training to people of all ages. To get involved, book training, or find out more visit www.sjacymru.org.uk.
Just in Case: Stories from St John is available on all major podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, with new episodes set to release every month.
To listen on Apple Podcasts go to: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/just-in-case-stories-from-st-john/id1830427277
To listen on Spotify visit: open.spotify.com/show/05SXgJnpuJ2oX176hzSAcq
Feature image: Charlotte Johnson, Harry Marsh and Poppy Willis were among the first to achieve St John Ambulance Cymru’s new Event Responder skill level.
