Health Minister Edwina Hart has announced £900,000 Assembly Government funding for St John Cymru Wales to secure a building to house vehicles and to enhance training facilities for volunteers.
Currently some of the charity’s own Patient Transport Service (PTS) vehicles and other vehicles including ambulances, are stored at various locations across Cardiff which leaves them at risk of vandalism.
The new safe and secure site at Norbury Road, Cardiff will house five vehicles for St John Cymru Wales volunteers in the Cardiff area and 13 patient transport service vehicles. Discussions are also underway with Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust to house some of their PTS vehicles.
It will also be the new home to a St John Cymru Wales Volunteer Division for young people aged between six and 18 years from the Fairwater area. Training in vital life-saving skills will be available to these youngsters who can then become volunteers for St John Cymru Wales. The wider community will also be able to be trained in first aid skills at the centre.
The site is centrally-located being close to the A48, M4 and the University Hospital Wales, Cardiff.
Mrs Hart said:
“St John Cymru Wales is a highly regarded and important charity in Wales which provides voluntary first aid, first aid training and a patient transport service. It also supports the work of the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust during peak times.
“The new site in its central location will help improve services within Cardiff as well as teach people in the community vital life-saving first aid skills.
“Currently vehicles are kept at a number of locations across Cardiff, sometimes at members’ homes, which leave the vehicles at risk of vandalism. The new site includes a warehouse big enough to store all the vehicles in one place safely and securely.”
Keith Dunn, Chief Executive of St John Cymru Wales said:
“We’re absolutely thrilled with the announcement today. The investment from the Welsh Assembly Government will fund this facility for us and will improve and enhance the services that we offer the people of Wales.
“Last year St John Cymru Wales transported more than 20,000 patients throughout Wales and our members fulfilled more than 250,000 hours of duties.”
