How St John Ambulance Ely is helping do Cambridgeshire proud

And after my 90-minute insight, I could see why. 

It is a slogan that Josh, district youth leader for Cambridgeshire’s SJA units, first mentioned minutes into my visit to one of the charity’s sessions on March 29. 

The Ely branch, located at Bishop Laney Sixth Form on Downham Road, runs sessions for 30 cadets aged from around 11 to 17-years-old, and eight badgers aged from five to 11-years-old. 

Asked what you can learn at the SJA, Josh simply said: “You can learn to change a life. 

“You can change lives just in an hour-and-a-half on a Wednesday.” 

Many young people attend St John Ambulance sessions in Ely, where they learn not just lifesaving skills. (Image: St John Ambulance Ely)

Ely is home to one of 14 units the SJA has in Cambridgeshire, having previously hosted sessions at Centre E on Barton Road before the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The city was also the place where Oscar Barter started as a cadet at the SJA in 2016 before progressing into a unit manager role at the University of York Students’ Union. 

“I like being able to help people; I go to events and help members of the public, such as whether they have a cardiac arrest,” said Oscar. 

“As a unit manager, it’s about making sure everyone I managed knows what they’re doing. 

“We give training and provide a list of events to give opportunities they want to do.” 

Oscar Barter [right], a former cadet at St John Ambulance in Ely, speaking to Ely Standard reporter Daniel Mason. (Image: St John Ambulance Ely)

Oscar, who studies electronic engineering at the University of York, told me that he returns to the SJA Ely branch during university holiday time. 

As I caught his attention, he demonstrated one of the most important lifesaving exercises the SJA trains people to do, in the form of CPR. 

But it is not just lifesaving skills that volunteers can train for, as councillor Rob Pitt, president of the SJA Ely branch, discussed. 

“I think this sector provides a connective tissue for more adults in and around Ely to develop,” he said. 

“One thing we didn’t know is the impact of Covid and the element of trauma to deal with; there can be fear of the unknown, like medical illnesses.” 

READ MORE: Charity needs over 200 more volunteer vaccinators across Cambridgeshire

Nationally, SJA spent more than 69,000 hours dealing with community responses during the height of the pandemic, as well as 918,388 hours focussing on Covid vaccinations. 

From left: Josh, district youth leader for Cambridgeshire; Cllr Rob Pitt, president of the SJA Ely branch and Kat Cattani, unit manager of Ely All Services. (Image: St John Ambulance Ely)

“What I love about this [the SJA] and being here for a few months as president, we are reassuring people to dispel fear with confidence,” said Mr Pitt.  

“We are teaching them not just lifesaving skills, but life skills where people can be free without that fear of the unknown.” 

That unknown, in part, is how to tackle adulthood and building children’s skillsets towards reaching that stage. 

READ MORE: Ambulance cadets rewarded for hard work over Covid-19 pandemic

Kat Cattani, unit manager of Ely All Services, joined SJA around 10 years ago after trying to find a hobby. 

“When I had a daughter, I wanted a hobby; I always wanted to be a paramedic and signed up for SJA as the next best thing,” she said.  

“I found a love for helping with the youth side.” 

Felicity Rose [left] and Kat Cattani are just two people who have made an impact with St John Ambulance in Ely. (Image: St John Ambulance Ely)

Kat has made an impact on young peoples’ lives alongside other volunteers, including Felicity Rose, cadet lead at the SJA Ely branch who was awarded The Order of St John for her contribution. 

Those who take part in SJA sessions are advised to commit the time that they can, and Kat feels more time spent can help young people even more on their own pathway. 

“We give them adventure skills, quality and diversity training,” she added.  

“We try and give them the best possible start to becoming an adult and finding their own path.”