Major Health Lottery Grant Boosts Young Responders Programme in East Midlands
Thanks to players of The Health Lottery, St John Ambulance has secured a substantial grant of nearly a quarter of a million pounds from the Health Lottery Foundation. This funding will enable the expansion of its Young Responders programme across the East Midlands, empowering more young people with the confidence and skills to respond effectively in health emergencies.
Record-Breaking Funding for Lifesaving Training
The two-year grant, totalling £241,807, represents the largest ever awarded by the Health Lottery Foundation. It will fully support the delivery of the Young Responders initiative in the region. This investment allows St John Ambulance to recruit and train specialist staff and collaborate with local partners to reach young people from underserved communities.
The Young Responders programme, which began in 2023, focuses on street first aid sessions. Training addresses critical issues such as knife crime injuries, covering topics like:
- Responding to catastrophic bleeds
- Dealing with alcohol or vape spiking incidents
- Performing primary surveys and CPR
- Understanding the mental health impacts of first aid situations and accessing support
Expanding Reach to Underserved Youth
Already successful in regions including the North East, West Midlands, London, Hull, East Riding, North Lincolnshire, and North East Lincolnshire, the programme lays the groundwork for nationwide growth. It targets young people aged 11 to 25 from underserved backgrounds, such as those who are care-experienced, young carers, not in education, employment, or training, and those exposed to street violence.
Since its inception, Young Responders has equipped over 72,000 young people across England with lifesaving skills, fostering confidence, resilience, and emergency response capabilities.
East Midlands Initiative and Future Goals
With the Health Lottery Foundation grant, St John Ambulance will extend the programme into the East Midlands. A full team will engage locally to secure bookings with schools, youth organisations, and community partners. Delivery is set to continue until December 2027, aiming to train approximately 15,000 young people and create safer, more resilient communities.
Pauline Bartley, Young Responders Project Manager at St John Ambulance, commented: "This funding from the Health Lottery Foundation is a huge step forward for Young Responders and the young people we support. Expanding across the East Midlands means we can reach more young people who may not otherwise have access to lifesaving skills, giving them the confidence to act in a crisis and make a real difference in their communities."
Delva Patman, CEO at The Health Lottery Foundation, added: "We are thrilled to be working with St John Ambulance to roll out such a vital programme into a new area. Thanks to players of The Health Lottery, we've been able to award our largest ever grant. We were impressed by the impact the programme has made to date and could see the urgent need to expand it further. We look forward to working closely with St John Ambulance over the next two years and hope to visit the East Midlands, to meet some of the Young Responders and celebrate their achievements."
For further information about the Young Responders programme, please email young.responders@sja.org.uk.
