St John Ambulance SA Inc. Annual Report 2020-21

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St John Ambulance Australia SA Inc Annual Report 2020/21

Community Services

A significant amount of our Community Services activities were unfortunately cancelled, reformed or put on hold due to COVID-19 restrictions during the 2020/21 financial year. However, I am happy to report that we were still able to provide a range of Community Services to South Australians. Our First Aid in Schools (FAiS) program was still able to go ahead with 1,826 South Australian primary school children trained in lifesaving first aid. The program covers a range of vital skills, including how to call an ambulance, dealing with an unconscious person, treating a range of injuries and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for older students. I am also excited to report that 2020/21 saw the third and final instalment of our Every Heartbeat Matters program with the Australian Hotels Association SA and Clubs SA. This initiative saw a total of 312 public access defibrillators installed in pubs and clubs in regional and remote areas of the state. We also continued our partnership with Freemasons SA & NT, enabling lifesaving skills of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to be taught for free to 2,000 people who were also given a personal first aid kit in this major community safety initiative. A $600,000 grant from Masonic Charities to St John SA will enable 2,000 people a year over the next three years in South Australia and the Northern Territory to receive this complimentary training. This partnership helps fulfil St John SA’s mission to make first aid a part of everyone’s life. Lastly, St John SA supported complimentary first aid training programs to The Aboriginal Health network in Port Augusta in conjunction with our Defence partners. We were able to train a number of indigenous youths in lifesaving first aid skills, strengthening their communities and helping make South Australia a safer place. As I look back fondly on the 2020/21 financial year, I am proud of the contributions from staff and volunteers who contribute to the success of St John SA. I would like to extend a huge thank you to you all, as without you none of what we do at St John SA would be possible. I am looking forward to demonstrating that we can be an effective agile training organisation as we move into the next phase of living with Covid.

Professor Hugh Grantham MBBS ASM FRACGP Chair of Training