St John Ambulance SA_Annual Report 2021-2022

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St John Ambulance Australia SA Inc Annual Report 2021/22

CHAIR OF THE BOARD’S REPORT

It gives me great pleasure to report a successful 2021/22 financial year for St John SA, both in the organisation’s contribution to the community and its financial performance. Whilst traditionally many organisations measure success through purely financial measures, I believe the most important measure of success for St John SA is the profound and unwavering community impact we continue to have on the South Australian community at large. The 2021/22 financial year saw us remain at the forefront of the first aid industry through providing first aid at events, training and products. Our growth in financial performance has allowed us to continue to provide these vital community services at the highest level while maintaining the quality of service that is synonymous with St John SA. Once again, our volunteers were kept busy year-round, covering an impressive 2,000 events, throughout which they treated 17,448 patients during their 45,298 duty hours. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation and thanks to each and every one of our volunteers on this immense effort and sacrifice in order to support the South Australian community, and more broadly, our health system by reducing the burden on medical facilities throughout the state. The end of the 2021/22 financial year saw 48,149 public first aid course certificates delivered and over 330,000 hours provided of public and community training. It is comforting to know so many people in the community have received high quality, lifesaving first aid education from our highly trained St John SA Commercial Trainers. This high-quality training is part of our ongoing community impact to support the wellbeing of the wider South Australian community. In December of 2021, St John SA presented National Emergency Medals to volunteers who assisted during the 2019/20 bushfires. The awards were presented by Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia and Deputy Prior, St John Ambulance SA to 43 volunteers who volunteered their time and expertise during a national emergency. These amazing volunteers provided first aid care and support to those impacted by the fires and their communities. An amazing effort again by our volunteers who are always there for the South Australian

community in times of hardship and crisis.

each meeting and share information about St John SA including business updates and the future direction of St John SA operations. Concluding, I would like to extend my gratitude to the St John SA community. You are the heart and soul of our organisation. It takes a special type of person to willingly and generously devote their time and passion to helping others while simultaneously playing a significant role in advancing the mission and vision of St John SA. Thank you for the vital role you all play within St John SA and I look forward to working together towards an even stronger St John SA with even more community impact in 2022/23.

The St John SA Youth Development program also continues to prosper with 341 Cadet volunteers accruing an impressive 3,624 duty hours and 5,789 in training hours. A significant commitment was also dedicated to their education and continued learning with 90 proficiency certificates awarded throughout the year. These certificates assist our youth members in learning a range of important life skills to develop the tools, confidence and compassion to have a positive impact on the South Australian community. St John SA continues to provide an enjoyable, and engaging platform for youth members to contribute to develop key first aid, life and social skills whilst contributing to their community. I am also happy to report that the 2021 St John Ambulance SA Christmas Home and Lifestyle Lottery was successful for another year. A big thank you to St John SA staff members and to all of those from the South Australian community who showed their support by purchasing tickets. We are grateful that our annual Christmas Home and Lifestyle lottery allows us to continue to deliver our volunteer and community programs. This display of generosity is the reason we exist as an organisation and we look forward to being able to offer another rewarding campaign for the 2022 St John Ambulance SA Christmas Home Lottery. In relation to the Board composition, I am joined by a number of accomplished and knowledgeable professionals, and would like to take the opportunity to recognise their contributions to St John SA throughout 2021/22. We welcomed Shane Bolton to the Board as an Elected Director in November 2021, and Sef van den Nieuwelaar as Chair of Community Care in February 2022. I am extremely grateful for the knowledge, expertise and passion these professionals bring to the organisation and I look forward to working with all of them in the future. The Board were fortunate to be able to attend a number of Board meetings throughout the year at a range of our St John SA division centres around South Australia. We attended the Noarlunga and Mt Barker Centres and were thrilled we got to spend time with volunteers from the respective Teams. Being able to engage with and listen to member’s journeys enabled the Board and Executives to learn what motivates them to volunteer with St John SA. We were able to meet Leaders at

Pro Fide, Pro Utilitate Hominum.

Karen Limb Chair of the Board

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