Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust and St John Ambulance have joined forces to recruit and train ‘NHS Cadets’ across the Bradford, Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven district.

The Care Trust seeks 100 young people, aged 14 – 16 years old (initially) from across the district to begin the programme in September 2020. The Trust is particularly interested in seeking young people from marginalised backgrounds, including teenagers from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, young people not in employment, education or training – or at risk of becoming so – and others who might not have previously considered a career in the NHS.

The Cadets programme is part of a wider national collaboration between NHS England/Improvement and St John Ambulance charity to train thousands of Cadets across the country. The Care Trust is one of the first seven trusts nationally supporting the programme and the only one in Yorkshire.

The programme will help to improve care for patients while offering a route into health service employment for up to 10,000 young people across the country. The £6 million programme is funded equally by NHS England and the charity. It will provide first aid training, courses to develop leadership skills, and volunteering opportunities in the NHS – including vital hands-on work experience in hospitals.

The programme’s mission statement has been developed in partnership with young people, leaders, and health care professionals from across St John Ambulance and is supported by the NHS:

“Our mission is to attract, develop and prepare 14 to 18-year olds to enter and be able to sustain themselves in health care volunteering opportunities. Specifically widening access to health volunteering from groups that have not traditionally entered these volunteering opportunities”

St John Ambulance 2019

Paul Hogg, Director of Corporate Affairs, said: “We are delighted to be involved in this valuable initiative with young people across the district.  Bradford is one of the youngest cities in Europe and has 25% of its population aged under 16 years old.   This work will help us strengthen our existing connections across local communities and work with a diverse group of young people who might be interested in a career within the NHS.  It’s a great example of our ‘community connector’ role and we look forward to welcoming our new cadets in September.”

The extra-curricular programme will take approximately 12 months to complete and will include a two-hour evening commitment once a week. Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the method of delivery may be a combination of face-to-face and virtual, therefore young people should have access to the appropriate technology.

If a young person is interested in this opportunity, please visit the Care Trust website for further details on how to register: https://www.bdct.nhs.uk/get-involved/volunteering/,or, email nhscadets@bdct.nhs.uk and they will be contacted directly.

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Notes to Editors:

About St John Ambulance: 

St John Ambulance is the charity that steps forward in the moments that matter to save lives and support communities. Its highly trained volunteers keep people safe at events nationwide, springing into action to help with medical incidents and emergencies. The organisation also helps the NHS by responding to some 999 calls, as well as transporting patients safely. And every year around 500,000 people, including children and young people, learn how to save a life through its first aid training. St John Ambulance has saved lives and relieved suffering for over 140 years, and – with the support of the public – will do so for decades to come.

Youth programmes at St John Ambulance:

Our youth programmes give young people the opportunity to learn first aid alongside other important life skills. They operate throughout England.

Badgers (Ages 7-10): Our fun and adventurous Badger Setts are packed with activities for children so they can learn important life skills in an exciting and safe environment.

Cadets (Ages 10-17): At Cadets it’s all about fun, community and developing your skills. You can learn first aid, earn your Grand Prior Award and volunteer within your community.

University student volunteering: If you’re at university, you can join a first aid society. Student first aid societies offer a great opportunity to meet new people, provide first aid services and become more involved with your university community.

NHS Cadets is one of an exciting array of new projects St John Ambulance will work on to build more opportunities for young people to become active health citizens. It is being funded by a £3m grant from NHS England and resourced by St John Ambulance.

For more information about our existing youth programmes, visit the website: www.sja.org.uk/youngpeople 

Volunteering in the NHS

NHS England and NHS Improvement are supporting volunteering in the NHS.

Pears Foundation, in partnership with the National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, is generously supporting and leading a dedicated strand of the #IWill Fund focused on supporting the growth of inclusive, high-quality, youth social action opportunities through 30 NHS Trusts and their respective charities.

Due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, NHS Cadets is running virtually to adhere to Government guidelines on social distancing. As soon as practicable, the training provided will return to its face-to-face model.