St John Ambulance Cymru’s Chief Executive has highlighted the importance of equipping first aiders with the skills to help people experiencing mental health issues as well as physical injuries, as he outlines how the charity’s new strategy is making it fit for the future.
Richard Lee, who joined St John Ambulance Cymru in May 2024, bringing with him decades of service in healthcare, the armed forces, and the charity sector, made the comments as part of a wide-ranging interview on the latest episode of the Just in Case: Stories from St John podcast.
Richard said he is determined to ensure first aid reflects today’s realities. “Much of the syllabus is still rooted in 1970s Britain, with heavy industry, car factories and coal mines,” he explained. “But workplace incidents look different now. We need to equip people to respond not just to physical injuries, but also to mental health crises.”
That shift is already influencing event medicine. “At large concerts or festivals, we’re seeing more people who are simply overwhelmed,” he said.
“Our teams need to be prepared for that just as much as for physical injuries.”
His career has taken him from the battlefields of the Gulf War to the heart of the NHS, and from leading Covid-19 vaccination efforts in England to championing community first aid in Wales.
Richard admits he hadn’t given much thought to St John before joining the organisation in 2018 as Chief Operating Officer for St John Ambulance in England. But it didn’t take long for him to be “bitten by the bug.”
“Something is humbling about a worldwide organisation that’s set up to treat the sick and the poor, and in the UK context, a volunteer-led organisation made up of thousands of people who choose to spend their spare time looking after others,” he said.
For Richard, the pandemic underscored St John’s unique capabilities. “In the peak of Covid, we trained 30,000 volunteer vaccinators and were involved in delivering one in four jabs in England,” he added.
“These were volunteers who could have stayed home but instead stepped forward in their tens of thousands to be part of the solution.”
Born in South London, Lee spent his teenage years in North Wales after his family relocated. The move from a large urban school to one with fewer than 100 pupils was a culture shock, but one that nurtured a deep sense of community.
Diverse experiences have shaped his career path: service as a medical assistant in the Royal Air Force during the Gulf War, peacekeeping in Bosnia, and then a steady climb through the NHS ambulance service ranks from emergency medical technician to paramedic and senior leader.
“I’m a firm believer there’s no such thing as a self-made leader,” Richard reflected. “We’re all a product of the people we’ve worked with, and in healthcare, the patients we’ve looked after.”
Richard has no intention of leading from behind a desk. A registered paramedic for 30 years, he continues to volunteer on the frontline. “One of the chapters in the Richard Lee Book of Leadership is: get out, find out what’s going on, and be part of it,” he remarks. “If I’m at an event, I see firsthand the frustrations and successes. That’s how you understand the organisation.”
His approach appears to break down barriers with staff and volunteers. “Sometimes people are wary at first, but once you’ve been lumping boxes with them or dealing with a tricky patient, the conversation changes,” he added.
Richard’s early priority as CEO was to steady the ship. “I’m the fifth chief exec in five years,” he notes. “People needed to know this is a three-to-five-year job for me, not just a stepping stone.”
He spearheaded a consultation involving 500 people across the organisation, gathering thousands of responses to shape a five-year strategy. At its heart are four objectives: improving the experience of staff and volunteers; preparing young people for health careers; expanding community education in lifesaving skills; and ensuring St John is inclusive, sustainable and financially secure.
Richard’s service has been recognised with both the Queen’s Ambulance Medal and an MBE for his work during Covid. “I’m humbled to be the recipient, but these honours are really for the teams I’ve worked with,” he said. “The MBE was for leading the vaccination programme, but that was 30,000 volunteers and hundreds of staff making it happen.”
To those thinking about volunteering, Richard’s message is clear: “What’s stopping you? There’s something for everyone, whether it’s responding at events, working in logistics, training others, or leading youth activities.”
As St John Ambulance in England approaches its 150th anniversary in 2027, Richard is focused on ensuring St John Ambulance Cymru is ready for the next 150 years. “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the future,” he said. “Why wouldn’t you want to be part of that?”
Click the link to listen to the 'Just in Case: Stories from St John' podcast on Apple Podcasts or listen on Spotify.
Click the links to find out more about St John Ambulance Cymru, including how to book a place on a Mental Health First Aid course, or sign-up to volunteer with the charity.
‘Mae cymorth cyntaf iechyd meddwl yr un mor bwysig ag iechyd corfforol,’ meddai Prif Weithredwr St John Ambulance Cymru, Richard Lee, wrth iddo amlinellu cynllun ar gyfer y ‘150 mlynedd nesaf’
Mae Prif Weithredwr St John Ambulance Cymru wedi tynnu sylw at bwysigrwydd rhoi’r sgiliau i weithwyr cymorth cyntaf i helpu pobl sy’n profi problemau iechyd meddwl yn ogystal ag anafiadau corfforol, wrth iddo amlinellu sut mae strategaeth newydd yr elusen yn ei gwneud yn addas ar gyfer y dyfodol.
Gwnaeth Richard Lee, a ymunodd ag St John Ambulance Cymru ym mis Mai 2024, gan ddod ag ef ddegawdau o wasanaeth ym maes gofal iechyd, y lluoedd arfog, a'r sector elusennol, y sylwadau fel rhan o gyfweliad eang ar bennod ddiweddaraf podlediad Just in Case: Stories from St John.
Dywedodd Richard ei fod yn benderfynol o sicrhau bod cymorth cyntaf yn adlewyrchu realiti heddiw. “Mae llawer o’r maes llafur wedi’i wreiddio ym Mhrydain y 1970au o hyd, gyda diwydiant trwm, ffatrïoedd ceir a phyllau glo,” dywedodd. “Ond mae digwyddiadau yn y gweithle yn edrych yn wahanol nawr. Mae angen i ni gyfarparu pobl i ymateb nid yn unig i anafiadau corfforol, ond hefyd i argyfyngau iechyd meddwl.”
Mae'r newid hwn eisoes yn dylanwadu ar feddygaeth digwyddiadau. “Mewn cyngherddau neu wyliau mawr, rydyn ni'n gweld mwy o bobl sydd wedi'u llethu'n llwyr,” meddai.
“Mae angen i’n timau fod yn barod am hynny cymaint ag am anafiadau corfforol.”
Mae ei yrfa wedi ei weld yn mynd o feysydd brwydr Rhyfel y Gwlff i galon y GIG, ac o arwain ymdrechion brechu Covid-19 yn Lloegr i hyrwyddo cymorth cyntaf cymunedol yng Nghymru.
Mae Richard yn cyfaddef nad oedd wedi rhoi llawer o ystyriaeth i Ambiwlans St John cyn ymuno â'r sefydliad yn 2018 fel Prif Swyddog Gweithredu Ambiwlans St John yn Lloegr. Ond ni chymerodd yn hir iddo 'dal y chwilen.'
“Mae rhywbeth yn ostyngedig ynglŷn â sefydliad byd-eang sydd wedi’i sefydlu i drin y cleifion a’r tlodion, ac yng nghyd-destun y DU, sefydliad dan arweiniad gwirfoddolwyr sy’n cynnwys miloedd o bobl sy’n dewis treulio eu hamser sbâr yn gofalu am eraill,” meddai.
I Richard, tanlinellodd y pandemig alluoedd unigryw St John. “Yn ystod uchafbwynt Covid, fe wnaethon ni hyfforddi 30,000 o frechwyr gwirfoddol ac roedden ni’n rhan o roi un o bob pedwar pigiad yn Lloegr,” mae’n cofio.
“Roedd y rhain yn wirfoddolwyr a allai fod wedi aros gartref ond yn lle hynny camodd ymlaen yn eu degau o filoedd i fod yn rhan o’r ateb.”
Wedi'i eni yn Ne Llundain, treuliodd Lee ei arddegau yng Ngogledd Cymru ar ôl i'w deulu symud. Roedd y symud o ysgol drefol fawr i un â llai na 100 o ddisgyblion yn sioc ddiwylliannol, ond un a feithrinodd ymdeimlad dwfn o gymuned.
Mae profiadau amrywiol wedi llunio llwybr ei yrfa: gwasanaeth fel cynorthwyydd meddygol yn y Llu Awyr Brenhinol yn ystod Rhyfel y Gwlff, cadw'r heddwch ym Mosnia, ac yna dringfa gyson trwy rengoedd gwasanaeth ambiwlans y GIG o dechnegydd meddygol brys i barafeddyg ac uwch arweinydd.
“Rwy’n credu’n gryf nid oes y fath beth ag arweinydd hunanddyrchafedig,” myfyriodd Richard. “Rydym i gyd yn gynnyrch y bobl rydym wedi gweithio gyda nhw, ac ym maes gofal iechyd, y cleifion rydym wedi gofalu amdanynt.”
Nid oes gan Richard unrhyw fwriad i arwain o'r tu ôl i ddesg. Yn barafeddyg cofrestredig ers 30 mlynedd, mae'n parhau i wirfoddoli ar y rheng flaen. “Un o benodau Llyfr Arweinyddiaeth Richard Lee yw: ewch allan, darganfyddwch beth sy'n digwydd, a byddwch yn rhan ohono,” meddai. “Os ydw i mewn digwyddiad, rwy'n gweld y rhwystredigaethau a'r llwyddiannau yn uniongyrchol. Dyna sut rydych chi'n deall y sefydliad.”
Mae'n ymddangos bod ei ddull yn chwalu rhwystrau gyda staff a gwirfoddolwyr. “Weithiau mae pobl yn amheus ar y dechrau, ond unwaith y byddwch chi wedi bod yn cario bocsys gyda nhw neu'n delio â chlaf anodd, mae'r sgwrs yn newid,” ychwanegodd.
Blaenoriaeth gynnar Richard fel Prif Weithredwr oedd sefydlogi’r llong. “Fi yw’r pumed prif weithredwr mewn pum mlynedd,” mae’n nodi. “Roedd angen i bobl wybod bod hon yn swydd tair i bum mlynedd i mi, nid dim ond cam ymlaen.”
Arweiniodd ymgynghoriad a oedd yn cynnwys 500 o bobl ar draws y sefydliad, gan gasglu miloedd o ymatebion i lunio strategaeth pum mlynedd. Wrth wraidd y strategaeth mae pedwar amcan: gwella profiad staff a gwirfoddolwyr; paratoi pobl ifanc ar gyfer gyrfaoedd ym maes iechyd; ehangu addysg gymunedol mewn sgiliau achub bywyd; a sicrhau bod St John yn gynhwysol, yn gynaliadwy ac yn ddiogel yn ariannol.
Mae gwasanaeth Richard wedi cael ei gydnabod gyda Medal Gwasanaeth Ambiwlans y Frenhines ac MBE am ei waith yn ystod Covid. “Rwy’n teimlo’n ostyngedig i fod yn dderbynnydd, ond mae’r anrhydeddau hyn mewn gwirionedd ar gyfer y timau rydw i wedi gweithio gyda nhw,” meddai. “Roedd yr MBE am arwain y rhaglen frechu, ond roedd hynny’n cynnwys 30,000 o wirfoddolwyr a channoedd o staff ar waith.”
I'r rhai sy'n ystyried gwirfoddoli, mae neges Richard yn glir: “Beth sy'n eich atal chi? Mae rhywbeth i bawb, boed yn ymateb mewn digwyddiadau, gweithio ym maes logisteg, hyfforddi eraill, neu arwain gweithgareddau ieuenctid.”
Wrth i Ambiwlans St John yn Lloegr agosáu at ei ben-blwydd yn 150 oed yn 2027, mae Richard yn canolbwyntio ar sicrhau bod St John Ambulance Cymru yn barod ar gyfer y 150 mlynedd nesaf.. “Mae hwn yn gyfle unwaith mewn cenhedlaeth i lunio’r dyfodol,” meddai. “Pam na fyddech chi eisiau bod yn rhan o hynny?”
Cliciwch y dollenau i wrando ar bodlediad 'Just in Case: Stories from St John' ar Apple Podcasts neu i wrando ar Spotify.
Cliciwch y dollenau i gael gwybod mwy am St John Ambulance Cymru, gan gynnwys sut i archebu lle ar gwrs Cymorth Cyntaf Iechyd Meddwl, neu gofrestru i wirfoddoli gyda'r elusen.
