St John and Tanya Brown tackle street violence in Newcastle
December 2023
The Young Responders programme team has now joined forces with Tanya Brown, who since losing her 18-year-old son Connor, 18, to knife crime in 2019, has been giving talks to young people in schools and colleges – particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds - on the dangers of knife crime, gangs and criminal activity.
Tanya, who gives talks as part of the Connor Brown Trustto educate that knife crime can affect anyone, said: “Connor wasn’t involved in gangs or anti-social behaviour. He was generally one of life’s good guys. His passion was sport. He loved life and was a real people person. He died trying to break up a fight.”
First aid confidence rockets from 7% to 94% amongst secondary school students
September 2023
Around 6,000 young people in communities in London, West Midlands and North-East more willing to step in to help a first aid incident following a Young Responders session
St John Ambulance’s innovative street first aid programme - Young Responders – has been making a big impact in boosting first aid confidence amongst secondary school students across the UK.
Young Responders – which teaches young people aged 11 to 25 life-saving street first aid skills from what to do if a friend is spiked or stabbed has delivered workshops in schools to over 6,000 students since launching in March up to August, and in its first six-month period.
Myleene Klass visits Young Responders
July 2023
Musician and broadcaster Myleene Klass went back to school today (July 13) to join Trinity Academy students in Brixton to take part in a St John Ambulance’s street first aid programme ‘Young Responders’. The initiative teaches lifesaving first aid for real-life situations young people may find themselves in.
Spiking is very personal for the recently crowned I’m A Celebrity’s Ultimate Legend, who revealed she herself was spiked at the height of her Hear’Say fame, when she was 20.
A YouGov poll of 2,000 people commissioned for the Independent, found a third of women and one in five men have been spiked or know someone who has.
In some areas, there have been alarming hikes in reported spiking cases – in March Lancashire police statistics revealed a 300% rise in spiking cases since 2019.
Targeting secondary school students and young adults aged up to 25, the Young Responders programme is being rolled out in areas of London, West Midlands and the North East with the goal of giving 15,000 young people street first aid skills by the end of the year.
Take Action!
April 2023
We asked students who took part in our sessions how confident they would feel in delivering first aid help in a situation.
At the beginning of the session, only 12% of student felt confident.
By the end of the session, 90% of student said they felt confident enough to help in a situation by delivering first aid skills they learnt through Young Responders.
This is a fantastic result for St John Ambulance and our sponsors at the People's Postcode Lottery.
Follow us
First session delivered
March 2023
The New Young Responders programme, a community-based initiative aimed at empowering young people to administer lifesaving first aid in emergency situations, recently launched and successfully completed its first session in London.The programme, which was developed in partnership with young people, is designed to provide young people with the necessary skills and knowledge to respond effectively to emergencies and make a positive impact in their communities.
The first session was attended by a group of enthusiastic young participants. Over the course of the session, the participants underwent training in first aid techniques, CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), and other critical life-saving skills.
The programme utilised a combination of classroom instruction, hands-on training, and practical exercises to ensure that the participants gained a thorough understanding of the skills and concepts being taught. The sessions were facilitated by experienced trainers who provided guidance, support, and feedback to help the student develop their skills and confidence.
The session was deemed a success with 100% of those who attended advising that they would now feel confident to help someone in an emergency situation similar to what they had been taught during the session.
Facilitators: Keen to get started
February 2023
The facilitators of the Young Responders programme are eagerly anticipating the start of program delivery in schools. They have been diligently preparing and are excited to engage with students and deliver the sessions to empower young people with important first aid skills and knowledge.The facilitators will deliver to specifically meet the specific needs and interests of each school, ensuring that the session is engaging, interactive, and aligned with the age group and demographics of the participants. They have worked closely with the coordinators, secured necessary resources and materials, and are ready to kick off the program.
They are looking forward to conducting informative sessions at schools to introduce the Young Responders programme to students and see the value in showcasing real-world insights and experiences to enrich the learning process for the participants.
They are eager to highlight the programme's goals, objectives, and benefits, and answer any questions or concerns from their audiences.
The Facilitators are committed to promoting the positive impact of the Young Responders programme in schools and look forward to receiving feedback, success stories and testimonials, to continue to build awareness and support for the project.
Coordinators: Onboarded
February 2023
The coordinators, who will play a vital role in implementing the initiative, have been carefully selected for their expertise and passion for community service and will be will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the programme and ensuring its successful execution.The onboarding process for the new coordinators is now complete and they are now moving forward with the operational aspects of the Young Responders programme including the Programme Launch Planning.
The final preparations for launch are underway and the coordinators are aligning logistics, training facilitators, promoting the programme in our three launch areas, and ensuring all necessary resources are in place for a successful launch.
