David Drew's column (From Stroud News and Journal)

David Drew's column

9:14am Monday 16th November 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

AS we build up to the Goodwill events that will be taking place all over the constituency, I wanted to write about St John Ambulance. Ever present at so many of the activities that take place, they are the UK’s leading First Aid Charity and over the years have saved hundreds of thousands of lives as well as giving us the confidence they instil when we see them wherever and whenever. St John Ambulance volunteers give up their time tirelessly to train in the necessary first aid skills and to be there supporting their communities.

I have met with St John Ambulance volunteers on too many occasions to mention; they are inspirational individuals to be admired.

This is why when I heard about the Big Tea Cosy Event I thought it would be brilliant to do something to help them in return.

The Big Tea Cosy Event is a fund raising initiative led by St John Ambulance encouraging us to ‘have a cup of tea’, invite out friends, raise a little money and even knit a tea cosy.

Please come along to the Old Town Hall, Stroud on Friday, November 27 at 11am. If you can knit a tea cosy – brilliant, otherwise just pop in for a cup of tea or coffee, to meet a representative from St John Ambulance and to find out first hand more about this wonderful charity, always in the background, but lending us a hand when we are most in need.

It would be remiss of me in this article not to also mention the work of the British Red Cross, which helps and support us in times of crisis – locally it played a significant role during the floods of 2007.

I was very pleased to see the investment we have seen locally advanced by the Red Cross and again we see them at many of our local events.

So I hope that you can get knitting and enjoy a cup of tea but more than anything let’s celebrate the work of both St. John’s Ambulance and the Red Cross by giving generously when you see them next collecting in the high street or elsewhere. Remember your life may depend on these contributions and certainly on the efforts of the many who volunteer so much and so often to protect us.

* Do you agree with David Drew? Add your own comments here...

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)