Every December, while most of Wales slows down for the festive break, St John Ambulance Cymru gears up for one of its busiest periods of the year. Over Christmas, the first aid charity’s volunteers and staff provide round-the-clock medical support for communities across the country.
St John Ambulance Cymru’s Head of Response Operations, Darren Murray, who has volunteered with the organisation for nearly 15 years, says the scale of the charity’s Christmas operation is significant – and often overlooked.
“Lots of people think the summer is really busy for our events, but we are busy all year round,” he said during an interview for the St John Ambulance Cymru podcast, Just in Case: Stories from St John.
“We go straight into the Christmas light switch-ons, the Christmas markets, the tractor runs, the Santa dashes. We’re really busy with those local community events.”
The schedule quickly intensifies. On Christmas Eve, teams support community events across Wales before the Christmas Morning Swim in Porthcawl
By Boxing Day morning, volunteers are already out at iconic Welsh fixtures, including the Walrus Dip in Pembrey, the boxing dip in Deganwy and Cardiff Rugby.
“On Christmas Day alone, we’ll have twelve Falls Response cars out across Wales,” Darren explained.
“We’ve got mental health crisis cars out supporting the NHS. It doesn’t stop just because it’s Christmas Day.”
From an ambulance operations perspective, rotas are organised early to guarantee essential coverage.
Darren added:
“We need to make sure those vehicles and resources are available.”
For large events – including police-supported operations in North Wales – planning can start in late summer. Many Boxing Day events are booked a year in advance.
“Some of these events we’ve covered for ten, twenty, thirty years,” he added. “Customers are already sending in their booking forms the next day.”
Darren is quick to highlight the personal sacrifices behind this work.
“It’s all down to our volunteers giving up time with their family and friends over the festive period to support the charity and the community events,” he stressed.
“They cannot do their events without us.”
When asked what message he would give those volunteers, he didn’t hesitate:
“Just to say thank you. We really, really appreciate it.”
Darren, still a volunteer himself, will be out supporting a Boxing Day dip, as well as assisting police partners elsewhere in Wales – though he hopes to enjoy some family time too.
“I’m quite looking forward to having some downtime,” he added. “We need to be grateful for the time we do get with our families as well.”
Over his 15 years of volunteering, Darren has witnessed first-hand the difference St John Ambulance Cymru can make.
“I’ve seen where we’ve had cardiac arrests and due to the interventions of our team, people have been able to be discharged from the hospital and go home,” he said. “A father has got to see his daughter walk down the aisle… a mother has got to see a grandchild.”
He also stressed that much of the charity’s impact happens quietly, at small community events or in moments that never make headlines.
“Although it only seems like a little thing, doing lots of those little things has a massive impact on the NHS and the community across Wales,” he said.
For Darren, the sense of purpose – along with the friendships formed over many years – is what keeps him returning.
“I’m still really proud of what we do as an organisation,” he added. “We may only be a little piece in a little part of Wales, but when you build that up, St John has a massive impact on the health and communities right across the world.”
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 support their work, 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 to listen on Apple Podcasts visit 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: Tenby Boxing Day Swim 2024
