At a special belated ceremony, volunteers at the St John Ambulance unit in Saltash were proud to receive a centenary certificate for the unit, presented by Cornwall County President Martin Brookes to Saltash Unit Manager Nikki Keys.

At the event to celebrate the unit’s history, it was decided to invite as many former divisional superintendents as possible and the local team, made up of adults, Cadets (10 to 17 year olds) and Badgers (five to 10 year olds), was delighted to greet six of them to witness the presentation. Due to the lack of records from the unit’s early history, the local volunteers realised that the centenary had arrived because of a 75th anniversary certificate which has been on the wall in the unit for some time. In fact, the 100th year was in 2021, but COVID and associated restrictions meant that this year was the first time that the event could be held.

Hayleigh Eglinton, deputy district manager for St John Ambulance in Cornwall, said: “It was great to be able to share memories, photos and the centenary cake. Thank you everyone who has supported St John Ambulance in Saltash over the years. It is testament to their work that we have been able to reach the prestigious 100 years and to be able to continue to serve our community.”

Saltash unit is a Youth-led group with 22 volunteers under the age of 18 – the next generation of St John first aiders. Any enthusiastic adults who are interested in joining this unit and helping the young volunteers to reach their full potential can contact Hayleigh for a discussion at [email protected].