Seafront Sunday is given a different perspective
DRIZZLY showers did not stop islanders touring ambulances, watching first aid demonstrations or standing at the helm of the Flying Christine at the St John Seafront Sunday.
St John Ambulance charity workers and volunteers showed off the work they do for the island and the tools which are vital in helping them do it.
Abigail Gallienne, 11, has been part of St John since she was very young, and has gone from badgers to cadets.
‘It’s something I do each week and I like learning new skills,’ she said. ‘Some people can eventually go out and support the ambulance.’
Soon, 15 young people, including Abigail, and four adults will be going to the UK for a national youth camp.
With a big change to the typical activities found at other Seafront Sundays, St John staff gave people a go on the stretchers, getting in an out of the ambulance, having a go at giving CPR, and allowed them to have a close-up look at the equipment used in an ambulance.
‘It’s been really popular, there’s so many more people here at this time today than there were last year,’ said Heather Langlois, CEO of the St John charity.
‘People have been making some really generous donations and there’s been a few asking about volunteering as well, so it’s really positive.’
One of the highlights for people was getting a look aboard the marine ambulance Flying Christine, which was docked at the bottom of the slipway.
Coxswain Mike Le Tissier has been in the job for 22 years.
‘People have been really interested, they always want to know the speed we go, which is 20 knots, but if there was a real dire emergency then we would go up to 26 knots,’ he said.
‘We generally get called to Herm and Sark, sometimes Alderney, cruise liners and occasionally a fishing boat, but not so much these days.'
The Flying Christine crew are on call in shifts.
