St John Ambulance Cymru has launched a new campaign to illustrate the importance of first aid skills ‘just in case’ an emergency happens.
Through the campaign, the charity is urging the people of Wales to donate, volunteer or learn life-saving skills to support its mission of making first aid for everyone – anytime, anywhere.
As the first aid charity for Wales, St John Ambulance Cymru relies on volunteers giving up their time and donations from the people of Wales to carry out its lifesaving work.
With the charity’s volunteers donating over 60,000 hours each year to provide first aid cover for over 1,400 large and community led events across Wales, including the Principality Stadium’s raft of recent concerts, the ‘just in case’ campaign is a stark reminder that the charity is always there to keep the people of Wales safe, should an emergency happen.
As almost a million adults in Wales have not learnt CPR and 80% of cardiac arrests take place at home, the campaign also encourages the people of Wales to learn lifesaving first aid skills, either through a workplace training course or community training event.
Learning CPR with St John Ambulance Cymru can be the difference between a life lost and a life saved as 60-year-old Elaine Cooper from Treherbert is testament to, after saving her husband’s life using CPR just two days after completing a first aid course.
Elaine said:
“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the first aid skills I learnt. I was sceptical about doing the first aid course and I was thinking about missing it, but I’m so thankful I did attend now. The whole experience was so scary, I never thought I’d have to do CPR on anyone, let alone a member of my family.”
While St John Ambulance Cymru is known for providing first aid treatment and training, it also provides ambulance transport, making over 28,000 patient journeys each year, and runs programmes for children and young people from the age of 5, helping to train the next generation of life savers.
One such young person is nine-year old Harley Metz, a member of St John Ambulance Cymru’s Aberdare and Foundry Town Badger programme, who saved his mother’s life when she suffered a diabetic coma at home.
His mum Dana Metz said:
“First aid is extremely important for kids to learn, because look what happened. If Harley didn’t go to Badgers he wouldn’t have the knowledge he has. He has been a Badger for a few years now and he absolutely loves it.”
Nichola Couceiro, Head of Communications, Fundraising & Engagement at St John Ambulance Cymru, said:
“We’re delighted to launch our new campaign to remind the people of Wales that St John Ambulance Cymru is there ‘just in case’ there is an emergency. First aid saves lives so the work we do is crucial in keeping the people of Wales safe.
“As a charity, we rely on volunteers, workplace courses, fundraising and donations to keep communities in Wales safe ‘just in case’ they need our support and would encourage the people of Wales to visit our website to find out more.”
To find out more visit www.sjacymru.org.uk.
Ymgyrch newydd St John Ambulance Cymru yn annog pobl Cymru i feddu ar sgiliau cymorth cyntaf ‘rhag ofn’
Mae St John Ambulance Cymru wedi lansio ymgyrch newydd i ddangos pwysigrwydd sgiliau cymorth cyntaf ‘rhag ofn’ i argyfwng ddigwydd.
Trwy’r ymgyrch, mae’r elusen yn annog pobl Cymru i roi, gwirfoddoli neu ddysgu sgiliau achub bywyd i gefnogi ei chenhadaeth o wneud cymorth cyntaf i bawb – unrhyw bryd, unrhyw le.
Fel elusen cymorth cyntaf Cymru, mae St John Ambulance Cymru yn dibynnu ar wirfoddolwyr yn rhoi o’u hamser a rhoddion gan bobl Cymru i gyflawni ei waith achub bywyd.
Gyda gwirfoddolwyr yr elusen yn cyfrannu dros 60,000 o oriau bob blwyddyn i ddarparu cymorth cyntaf ar gyfer dros 1,400 o ddigwyddiadau mawr a cymunedol ledled Cymru, gan gynnwys llu o gyngherddau diweddar Stadiwm y Principality, mae’r ymgyrch ‘rhag ofn’ yn ein hatgoffa’n llwyr fod yr elusen yno bob amser i gadw pobl Cymru'n ddiogel, pe bai argyfwng yn digwydd.
Gan fod bron i 1 miliwn o oedolion yng Nghymru heb ddysgu CPR a bod 80% o ataliadau ar y galon yn digwydd gartref, mae’r ymgyrch hefyd yn annog pobl Cymru i ddysgu sgiliau cymorth cyntaf achub bywyd, naill ai drwy gwrs hyfforddi yn y gweithle neu ddigwyddiad hyfforddi cymunedol.
Gall dysgu CPR gydag St John Ambulance Cymru fod y gwahaniaeth rhwng bywyd a gollwyd ac achub bywyd fel y mae Elaine Cooper, 60 oed o Dreherbert, yn dyst iddo, ar ôl achub bywyd ei gŵr gan ddefnyddio CPR ddau ddiwrnod yn unig ar ôl cwblhau cwrs cymorth cyntaf.
Meddai Elaine:
“Ni fyddwn wedi gallu ei wneud heb y sgiliau cymorth cyntaf a ddysgais. Roeddwn i’n amheus ynglŷn â gwneud y cwrs cymorth cyntaf ac roeddwn i’n ystyried peidio â mynd, ond rydw i mor ddiolchgar fy mod wedi mynychu. Roedd yr holl brofiad mor frawychus, wnes i erioed feddwl y byddai’n rhaid i mi wneud CPR ar unrhyw un, heb sôn am aelod o fy nheulu.”
Tra bod St John Ambulance Cymru yn adnabyddus am ddarparu triniaeth a hyfforddiant cymorth cyntaf, mae hefyd yn darparu cludiant ambiwlans, gan wneud dros 28,000 o siwrneiau cleifion bob blwyddyn, ac yn cynnal rhaglenni i blant a phobl ifanc 5 oed ymlaen, gan helpu i hyfforddi’r genhedlaeth nesaf o achubwyr bywyd.
Un person ifanc o’r fath yw Harley Metz, naw oed, sy’n aelod o raglen Badgers Aberdâr a Foundry Town St John Ambulance Cymru, a achubodd fywyd ei fam ar ôl iddi fynd i mewn i goma diabetig gartref.
Dywedodd ei fam Dana Metz:
“Mae Badgers yn hollol anhygoel i'r plant hyn. Mae cymorth cyntaf yn hynod o bwysig i blant ddysgu, oherwydd edrychwch beth ddigwyddodd. Pe na bai Harley yn mynd i Badgers ni fyddai ganddo'r wybodaeth sydd ganddo. Mae wedi bod yn Badger ers rhai blynyddoedd bellach ac mae wrth ei fodd.”
Dywedodd Nichola Couceiro, Pennaeth Cyfathrebu, Codi Arian ac Ymgysylltu St John Ambulance Cymru:
“Rydym yn falch iawn o lansio ein hymgyrch newydd i atgoffa pobl Cymru bod St John Ambulance Cymru yno ‘rhag ofn’ y bydd argyfwng. Mae cymorth cyntaf yn achub bywydau felly mae'r gwaith rydyn ni'n ei wneud yn hanfodol i gadw pobl Cymru'n ddiogel.
“Fel elusen, rydym yn dibynnu ar wirfoddolwyr, cyrsiau yn y gweithle, codi arian a rhoddion i gadw cymunedau yng Nghymru yn ddiogel ‘rhag ofn’ eu bod angen ein cefnogaeth, a byddem yn annog pobl Cymru i ymweld â’n gwefan i ddarganfod mwy.”
I ddarganfod mwy ewch i www.sjacymru.org.uk
