Abbreviation | SJA |
---|---|
Formation | 1877 |
Parent organisation | Order of Saint John (chartered 1888) |
Volunteers | 500,000[ citation needed ] |
Website | www |
St John Ambulance is the name of a number of affiliated organisations in mostly Commonwealth countries which teach and provide first aid, ambulance, and emergency medical services, and are primarily staffed by volunteers. The associations are overseen by the international Order of St John and its priories (national branches).
The first such organisation to be founded was the St John Ambulance Association, which was founded on 10 July 1877 in England to teach first aid in large railway centres and mining districts. [1] Its first uniformed first-aiders were founded in June 1887 as the St John Ambulance Brigade. [1] [2] On 14 May 1888, the Order of St John was granted royal charter by Queen Victoria. [3] In 1908, the organisation ceased operation in Scotland on mutual agreement with the St Andrew's Ambulance Association.
In 1974, the St John Ambulance Association and the St John Ambulance Brigade were amalgamated to form the St John Ambulance Foundation.
St John Ambulance now have over 40 national organisations - the charitable activity of The Order of St John, and approximately 200,000 volunteers worldwide. [1]
The Order of St John owns the brand name in most countries (with the notable exception of India, which has a St John Ambulance organisation that is unconnected to the international movement). Logos vary in different countries but always contain the eight-pointed white Maltese cross as the essential identifier. Like the Order, St John Ambulance associations accept members of all religions. Their geographic organisation differs from the Order, and they have to contend with the differing national laws, medical practices and cultures of countries. As a result, the role and organisation of St John Ambulance varies by country.
The legal status of each organisation varies by country, province, state, county, territory and municipality. In both England and Wales the resident St John Ambulance organisations are simultaneously but separately registered as charities and companies, whereas St John Ambulance South Africa (for example) is a distinct entity registered as a "public benefit organisation".
The presence of St John Ambulance is different among countries:
St John Ambulance were traditionally organised with military-style ranks. Some associations have replaced these with civilian titles (e.g. Unit Manager, Superintendent).
The Order of St John, formally the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, is an international order of chivalry which is headquartered in the United Kingdom. The Order founded the St John Ambulance associations and oversees their work. They also own the rights to the St John name and brand, including the Maltese Cross logo. The Order also oversees the St John Eye Hospital Group, which is separate from the ambulance associations. Membership of the Order is by invitation only, to recognise hard work and dedication in the service of the mission of St John.
Topics related to St John Ambulance and the Order:
Similar movements:
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Order of St John, and also known as St John International, is an order of chivalry constituted in 1888 by royal charter from Queen Victoria and dedicated to St John the Baptist.
The Maltese cross is a cross symbol, consisting of four "V" or arrowhead shaped concave quadrilaterals converging at a central vertex at right angles, two tips pointing outward symmetrically.
The 1970 British Commonwealth Games were held in Edinburgh, Scotland, from 16 to 25 July 1970. This was the first time the name British Commonwealth Games was adopted, the first time metric units rather than imperial units were used in all events, and also the first time the event was held in Scotland. Also, the event saw the first unique Games trademark logo: an emblem showing the Games emblem intertwined with a St Andrews Cross and a thistle. The event was followed by the 1970 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games for wheelchair athletes.
From its beginnings, St John Ambulance in England has employed ranks and insignia to distinguish grades within its membership and management structure. Originally based upon the British Army officer and the British Army other ranks structure and insignia, the original ranks and insignia have been subject to several modifications over the history of the organisation.
St Andrew's First Aid is a charity based in Scotland. Founded in 1882, St Andrew's Ambulance Association was Scotland's first ambulance service. From 1967, the St. Andrew's Scottish Ambulance Service was the sole contractor for the provision of the ambulance service, until 1974, when the National Health Service (NHS) was reorganised and St Andrew's ambulance role was absorbed into the Scottish Ambulance Service. The St Andrew's association continued as a provider of first aid services and training, changing their trading name.
St John Ambulance is a charitable non-governmental organisation dedicated to the teaching and practice of first aid and the support of the national emergency response system in England. Along with St John Ambulance Cymru, St John Ambulance Northern Ireland, and St John Scotland, it is one of the four United Kingdom affiliates of the international St John Ambulance movement.
St. John Ambulance in Canada, or SJA (French: Ambulance Saint-Jean Canada, is a confederation of St John Ambulance Provincial and Territorial Councils under mandate by the "St John Councils Regulations 1975" of the Royal Charter, Statutes and Regulations of the Order of St John. Each Council is governed by a Board of Directors under Provincial or Territorial incorporating legislation together with the St John Ambulance Priory in Canada, incorporated under the federal Canada Not For Profit Corporations Act. The Priory provides support services to the Councils and manages the Order of St. John in Canada. The Councils deliver the mandate of training, product sales and volunteer community services and are responsible for their own governance, operations and management.
Hong Kong St. John Ambulance is a charitable organisation with a long history stretching back over a century and has been serving the community since 1884. Adhered to its motto, "For the Service of Mankind", the organisation is dedicated to providing first aid and ambulance services in emergency, dental care for the handicapped, and courses on first aid and home nursing for the general public. Notably, Hong Kong St. John Ambulance is the only branch of St John Ambulance to provide free dental services as part of their regular services.
St John Ambulance Ireland (SJAI), previously known as the St John Ambulance Brigade of Ireland, is a charitable voluntary organisation in Ireland. For constitutional reasons it is not a full member association of the Venerable Order of Saint John and the international St. John Ambulance movement, but rather is classed as an "associated body". The organisation is dedicated to the teaching and practice of medical first aid. It is engaged in first aid training to the public, providing first aid and ambulance cover at public events, patient transport and community services.
The Order of Malta Ireland – Ambulance Corps is a voluntary ambulance and first aid organisation operating in Ireland in affiliation with the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, founded in 1938.
St John Singapore is a voluntary secular organisation in Singapore established in 1877 which provides training in First Aid and Home Nursing. It is affiliated with the Order of Saint John based in the United Kingdom. Its ambulance members and nursing members perform voluntary first aid coverage duties during national events and other events. It comprises 3 sub-organisations, namely the St John Brigade Singapore, St John Association Singapore, St John Fellowship Singapore.
Civil Defence Ireland is the national civil defence organisation of Ireland. It is a statutory agency of the Irish Department of Defence and is administered by local authorities. It was established in 1951 in response to the threat of nuclear disaster posed by the atomic bomb following World War II. Today it is an emergency response and rescue agency whose purpose is to provide aid, assistance and relief in times of emergency or natural disaster. It may also support primary emergency response agencies namely the Garda Síochána, HSE National Ambulance Service, and local authority fire services when requested. Civil Defence Ireland consists almost entirely of volunteers, numbering 2500 as of May 2023.
Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e.V., commonly referred to as Die Johanniter, is a voluntary humanitarian organisation affiliated with the Brandenburg Bailiwick of the Order of St John, the German Protestant descendant of the Knights Hospitaller. The organisation was founded in 1952 in Hanover under the leadership of Rudolf Christoph Freiherr von Gersdorff. One of the main reasons for its creation was the rise in injuries and deaths from road traffic accidents. JUH participates in international aid efforts together with its sister organisations in other countries as part of the Johanniter International partnership; it also works with the German Malteser Hilfsdienst, affiliated to the Catholic Sovereign Military Order of Malta. As of 2017 the organisation had 37,000 active volunteers and youth members and around 1,300,000 registered members.
The Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) is an independent statutory organisation responsible for implementing, monitoring and further developing the standards of care provided by all statutory, private and voluntary ambulance services in Ireland. It is also responsible for conducting examinations at six levels of pre-hospital care, the control of ambulance practitioner registration and the publication of clinical practice guidelines.
St John Ambulance Cymru is a charity dedicated to the teaching and practice of first aid. It is part of the Order of Saint John and operates as the Welsh branch of St John Ambulance.
The St John Ambulance Australian Youth is an organisation of St John Ambulance Australia that aims to teach and develop young people first aid and other skills with a spirit of community service. The movement has more than 3,500 youth members, aged between 12 and 18 across Australia.
St. John Ambulance India is the first aid, ambulance and nursing wing of the Indian Red Cross Society. It arose as the local Indian branch of the international St. John Ambulance movement headquartered in the United Kingdom, but in the years since Indian independence it has severed official links with the Order of St John. It has its national headquarters in Delhi and operates as a federation. There are two operational wings often called the Association Wing and the Brigade Wing.
There are many national organisations in the United Kingdom and its overseas territories that have been established to provide services to people under the age of 18.
The Order of Saint John was organised in a system of commanderies during the high medieval to early modern periods, to some extent surviving as the organisational structure of the several descended orders that formed after the Reformation.
St John Ambulance is a health and humanitarian charity that operates the national ambulance service in Papua New Guinea. It is an association of the International Order of St John.