St John Ambulance SA_Annual Report 2021-2022

Annual Report 2021/22 11

St John Ambulance Australia SA Inc

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S REPORT

It is my pleasure to report on the activities of St John Ambulance SA over the past twelve months as we have slowly transitioned into the world we knew prior to the pandemic. I’m proud of the way St John SA staff, volunteers and members have continued working together to support the South Australian community during this time. Our valuable community impact for 2021/22 was made possible by our amazing team of 562 dedicated Event Health Services volunteers who attended over 2,000 community events, treating 17,448 patients and contributing more than 45,000 volunteer hours equating to a value of $3,506,010. The work of St John SA would simply not be possible without our dedicated volunteers and their impact of generously giving their time and expertise to the community simply cannot be measured in numbers alone. The St John SA Case for Change was implemented last financial year in order to address declining volunteer numbers and seek new opportunities across the organisation. I am pleased to report on the progress made within these areas with notable achievements including the appointment of the Director of Training, Katrina Hansen, and the launch of our e-Academy. We also released a new Code of Conduct and track new volunteer experiences. We have also appointed a Manager Event Volunteer Operations as we look forward to establishing an annual volunteer- focussed event in 2023. Another focus of our Case for Change was re-mapping of the Event Responder 22 course, and I am pleased to say we have recruited over 200 new volunteers. Our Community Care program continued to offer a variety of individually tailored services to South Australians at risk of social isolation. Over 330 clients were empowered to remain independent, continuing to be active contributors to their community. A notable achievement has been the trial of a new transport service within Community Care and planning for nationwide service changes. In February, St John SA installed a defibrillator at the Encounter Bay boat ramp following a series of serious medical incidents at this popular holiday location. This initiative was an idea proposed by St John SA initially with the objective of contributing to increasing the chances of survival of Sudden Cardiac Arrest in

South Australia. In cases of Sudden Cardiac Arrest, time is very much of essence; statistics show only one in ten people survive a cardiac arrest outside of hospital. By placing defibrillators in locations where large groups of people gather, lives can be saved which is why St John SA was thrilled to have teamed up with the Victor Harbor Council to bring lifesaving equipment to the Encounter Bay community. We aim to supply publicly accessible defibrillators to more council areas across South Australia in the future. implementing this plan, we hope to not only increase our corporate understanding of reconciliation, but build a personal journey of reconciliation for all St John SA people. One of our organisational values is diversity – and importantly it includes developing and maintaining our focus on reconciliation activities across everything that we do. Through this plan, we will strive to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment and volunteering outcomes. At the centre of everything we do is our vision, mission, and values, which guide our charitable work in the community. The St John SA lotteries have seen ongoing success with two lotteries completed last financial year, including our tier one campaign, the St John Home and Lifestyle Lottery and our tier two campaign, the St John Autumn Cash Lottery. Thank you to all South Australians who purchased tickets in these lotteries. Our annual charity Golf Day was held in November, a key event in our fundraising calendar. The vital funds raised on the day go towards our First Aid in Schools program – training South Australian primary school children in lifesaving first aid skills. Our First Aid in Schools program continued to see increasing success with 21 schools involved, allowing us to train 4,183 students in First Aid over 5,228 hours. Our St John SA Golf Day would not be possible without our incredible sponsors and partners who play an integral part in supporting the lifesaving work that St John SA carries out every day. I would like to make a special mention to our Presenting Partner, Drakes for continuing their incredible support enabling us to undertake our ongoing charitable work within the South Australian community. St John SA rolled out our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) contributing to reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Through

I am incredibly proud to be leading an organisation with a clear vision for the future as we look ahead at what possibilities await us in 2022/23. I would like to acknowledge the outstanding team work of our volunteers and staff, and acknowledge them for their brilliant achievements. I would also like to say a special thank you to our sponsors and donors who assist us in continuing our work within the community. A huge thank you to my executive team and the senior management team who so ably lead our St John people. Lastly, I would like to thank the volunteer Board of St John SA for their generous input of their time and knowledge. I am proud to be part of such a high-achieving team making a difference to the lives of so many South Australians. I look forward to another exciting year, with St John SA leading the way in all things First Aid, training and social inclusion.

For the Faith and in the Service of Humanity.

Mark Groote Chief Executive Officer