Bunzl Donates Third Vehicle To St John Ambulance

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St John Ambulance has welcomed a new mobile treatment centre to its operational fleet in Greater Manchester, thanks to a generous donation from Bunzl Healthcare.

It’s the third custom-built vehiclethat Bunzl has donated to St John Ambulance, and is already being used to provide community health and first aid support in the area.

The mobile treatment centre will be used by St John Ambulance at high profile events such as the Great Manchester Run and Manchester Pride, as well as smaller community events.

It could be deployed to emergency situations in the Greater Manchester area, if required and also supports two community projects.

Alex Bonthrone, Divisional Managing Director of Bunzl Healthcare commented: “We are so pleased to provide a treatment vehicle that will increase the first aid support for people in the Manchester area.’

“The vehicle will enable those with minor injuries to receive immediate first aid which will benefit them, and will also help to take the pressure off our A&E centres.”

Rob Macintosh, Head of Fleet at St John Ambulance, said: “We are delighted to be working with Bunzl Healthcare to make our communities safer — this vehicle is a welcome addition to our fleet which enables us to make a difference to those who need it, as well as reducing the number of people needing to access NHS services.’

“The generosity and support of Bunzl Healthcare is hugely appreciated, and we look forward to our continuing partnership with them.”

The health charity uses the treatment centre to support two important community projects.

Every Saturday night (10pm until 4am), volunteers from St John Ambulance provide first aid support to the night-time economy in Manchester city centre, helping people get home safely after their night out and allowing emergency services to be there for those most critical patients.

The vehicle, located on Peter Street, provides a place for people to be treated for minor injuries, or simply as a safe haven whilst they sober up, wait to meet their friends, or for a taxi home.

This activity ensures that, as often as possible, patients are seen and treated by St John without the need for further NHS care.

And, every fortnight on a Tuesday evening, St John volunteers work in partnership with the Bolton NHS Foundation Trust to support their outreach work for the town’s homeless and vulnerably housed.

Based at Homeless Aid UK’s street kitchen event near Bolton Town Hall, St John’s first aiders work alongside NHS nurses to provide medical care and support to those who need it.

The treatment centre provides a confidential area where people can freely talk about their health in a more private setting.

To demonstrate the difference the new treatment centre is making in the local community, staff from Bunzl Healthcare’s Manchester office were recently shown around the vehicle.

They were told about the important role it’s playing within the Greater Manchester area, and St John volunteers gave first aid demonstrations as well as showing them the vital equipment it has on board.

Bunzl has worked with St John Ambulance over the past five years, initially to help young people not in education or employment to access first aid skills, and more recently by donating three bespoke treatment vehicles.

In 2020, the partnership is supporting first aid training in schools, particularly young people in communities where Bunzl operates. For more information on Bunzl Healthcare visit www.bunzlhealthcare.co.uk  

For more information on St John Ambulance, including how to make a donation, volunteering opportunities, and details of training for the public, schools and businesses, visit www.sja.org.uk or call 08700 10 49 50.