A volunteer who has given over half a century of service to St John Ambulance Cymru, alongside decades of community work for a range of other organisations in Powys, says he was “humbled and honoured” to be named in the latest King’s Birthday Honours list.
David Gardner, who is currently Assistant Chief Commissioner for the first aid charity for Wales, received an MBE for services to the community in Newtown, having devoted decades to keeping people safe at events from the Royal Welsh Show to royal weddings.
His contribution to his local area is not limited to his St John accomplishments, with over 50 years as a member of Newtown Silver Band, almost 20 years as a community first responder for the Welsh Ambulance Service, in addition to previous long-standing roles as an on-call firefighter and a football referee.
Since joining the St John Division in Newtown in 1967 as a Cadet aged six, David has fulfilled many roles, from Cadet Officer and Divisional Officer in Charge, to being County Secretary and Commissioner for Powys, before becoming Assistant Chief Commissioner as part of the national Senior Volunteer Team.
Having recently received a letter from the Cabinet Office detailing his inclusion in the latest honours list, he said:
“It took a couple of weeks to sink in. It wasn't until it was announced I think the penny really dropped.
“I don't think anybody joins for the recognition, but when it arrives you just reflect and feel so humbled and so honoured that somebody's actually thought about you and put you forward for these awards.”
David is no stranger to prestigious honours, having been promoted to Knight of Grace of the Priory for Wales of the Order of St John in 2021 and received a Long Service Award for 50 years’ service in June 2026. He said:
“When I reflect on my time with St John and other organisations as well, I probably didn't realise it, but I obviously like being busy. But everybody's got their own time that they can give.
“As a volunteer, I think anything that you can give is positive, whether it be just a few hours a week, that's great.”
He also highlighted the importance of supporting St John Ambulance Cymru’s Children and Young People programmes and how they encourage people to learn skills that can help them later on in life, including those who want to pursue a career in healthcare. He added:
I'm a firm believer of supporting the youth. I was a Cadet, I know a lot of people that are adult members who have been in St John an awful long time that were Cadets.
“I can reflect on Cadets that have come through Powys that are now healthcare professionals, paramedics or senior paramedics. There's a gentleman down in
Morriston, he's an A&E consultant. He started in St John as a Cadet.”
He highlighted the upcoming Royal Welsh Show as one of the most significant events that St John Ambulance Cymru has supported during his tenure, with St John People due to provide 24-hour cover for the Help Point in Builth Wells and Penmaenau Campsite during the 2026 show.
David has also received two commendations for his lifesaving actions, one for an incident that took place during the Royal Welsh Show, and another for saving the life of a man who suffered a cardiac arrest at a Remembrance Day Parade in Newtown.
Reflecting on the changes that have taken place within St John since he joined almost 60 years ago, he said:
“Back in the day, St John Ambulance was known as basically the bandage or plaster brigade, but we're far from that now.
“The standard of training now, it's up to a professional level, to the standard that it's recognised."
Asked what he’d say to anyone that was thinking of joining St John, either as a first aider or youth leader, he said:
“Come along and speak to us. If there's an event in your area, there's a good chance that St John are there.
“Come along, have a chat with us, or pop along to your local division and have a chat with the leaders.”
Speaking of the opportunities volunteering with St John has given him, he said:
“Between the sporting events and the music events with all the concerts, they’re great opportunities for people to go along and see big events as well as their local shows.”
Paul Griffiths OBE KStJ JP DL, the Prior for Wales and Chair of the Board of Trustees at St John Ambulance Cymru, said:
"We would like to congratulate David on receiving this prestigious honour in recognition of his decades of dedication to supporting his community, including his work on behalf of St John Ambulance Cymru at a local, county and national level.
"He has devoted thousands of hours of his spare time to keeping people in Wales safe and we are extremely grateful for his ongoing efforts on behalf of our charity."
David added that he has no plans to hang up his first aid kit just yet and was due to return to the role of Commissioner for Powys in August, almost 60 years since he first signed up as a Cadet.
To find out more about volunteering with St John Ambulance Cymru visit our volunteering page.
Un o hoelion wyth St John Ambulance Cymru wedi derbyn MBE am wasanaethau i'r gymuned yn Y Drenewydd, Powys
Mae gwirfoddolwr sydd wedi rhoi dros hanner canrif o wasanaeth i St John Ambulance Cymru, ochr yn ochr â degawdau o waith cymunedol i amrywiaeth o sefydliadau eraill ym Mhowys, yn dweud ei fod yn "ddiolchgar ac yn anrhydeddus" i gael ei enwi ar restr Anrhydeddau Pen-blwydd y Brenin yn ddiweddar.
Derbyniodd David Gardner, sydd ar hyn o bryd yn Brif Gomisiynydd Cynorthwyol yr elusen cymorth cyntaf i Gymru, MBE am wasanaethau i'r gymuned yn y Drenewydd, ar ôl treulio degawdau yn cadw pobl yn ddiogel mewn digwyddiadau o'r Sioe Frenhinol i briodasau brenhinol.
Nid yw ei gyfraniad i'w ardal leol yn gyfyngedig i'w gyflawniadau gyda St John, gyda dros 50 mlynedd fel aelod o Fand Arian y Drenewydd, bron i 20 mlynedd fel ymatebydd cyntaf cymunedol i Wasanaeth Ambiwlans Cymru, yn ogystal â rolau hirdymor blaenorol fel diffoddwr tân ar alwad a dyfarnwr pêl-droed.
Ers ymuno ag Adran St John yn y Drenewydd ym 1967 fel Cadét yn chwech oed, mae David wedi cyflawni llawer o rolau, o Swyddog Cadét a Prif Swyddog Adrannol, i fod yn Ysgrifennydd Sirol a Chomisiynydd Powys, cyn dod yn Brif Gomisiynydd Cynorthwyol fel rhan o'r Tîm Gwirfoddolwyr Uwch cenedlaethol.
Ar ôl derbyn llythyr yn ddiweddar gan Swyddfa’r Cabinet yn manylu ar ei gynnwys yn y rhestr anrhydeddau diweddaraf, dywedodd:
“Cymerodd gwpl o wythnosau iddo suddo i mewn. Dim ond tan iddo gael ei gyhoeddi syrthiodd y geiniog.
“Dydw i ddim yn credu bod unrhyw un yn ymuno am y gydnabyddiaeth, ond pan mae'n cyrraedd rydych chi'n myfyrio ac yn teimlo mor werthfawrogol â mor anrhydeddus bod rhywun wedi meddwl amdanoch chi mewn gwirionedd a'ch enwebu chi ar gyfer y gwobrau hyn.”
Mae David yn gyfarwydd iawn ag anrhydeddau mawreddog, ar ôl cael ei ddyrchafu’n Farchog Gras Priordy Cymru o Urdd St John yn 2021 a derbyn Gwobr Gwasanaeth Hir am 50 mlynedd o wasanaeth ym mis Mehefin 2026. Dywedodd:
“Pan fyddaf yn myfyrio ar fy amser gyda St John a sefydliadau eraill hefyd, mae’n debyg nad oeddwn wedi sylweddoli, ond rwy’n amlwg yn hoffi bod yn brysur. Ond mae gan bawb eu hamser eu hunain y gallant ei roi.
“Fel gwirfoddolwr, dw i’n meddwl bod unrhyw beth y gallwch chi ei roi yn gadarnhaol, boed hynny’n ychydig oriau’r wythnos yn unig, mae hynny’n wych.”
Tynnodd sylw hefyd at bwysigrwydd cefnogi rhaglenni Plant a Phobl Ifanc St John Ambulance Cymru a sut maen nhw'n annog pobl i ddysgu sgiliau a all eu helpu yn ddiweddarach mewn bywyd, gan gynnwys y rhai sydd am ddilyn gyrfa ym maes gofal iechyd. Ychwanegodd:
“Rwy’n credu’n gryf mewn cefnogi’r ieuenctid. Roeddwn i’n Gadet, rwy’n adnabod llawer o bobl sy’n aelodau sy’n oedolion sydd wedi bod gyda St John am amser hir iawn a oedd yn Gadetiaid.
“Gallaf fyfyrio ar Gadetiaid sydd wedi dod drwy Bowys sydd bellach yn weithwyr gofal iechyd proffesiynol, parafeddygon neu barafeddygon uwch. Mae yna ŵr bonheddig i lawr yn Nhreforys, mae'n Meddyg Ymgynghorol Damweiniau ac Achosion Brys. Dechreuodd ei daith St John fel Cadét.”
Tynnodd sylw at Sioe Frenhinol Cymru sydd ar ddod fel un o'r digwyddiadau pwysicaf y mae St John Ambulance Cymru wedi'i gefnogi yn ystod ei gyfnod, gyda Phobl St John yn darparu gorchudd 24 awr ar gyfer y Pwynt Cymorth yn Llanfair-ym-muallt a Maes Gwersylla Penmaenau yn ystod sioe 2026.
Mae David hefyd wedi derbyn dwy ganmoliaeth am ei weithredoedd achub bywyd, un am ddigwyddiad a ddigwyddodd yn ystod Sioe Frenhinol Cymru, ac un arall am achub bywyd dyn a ddioddefodd ataliad ar y galon mewn Parêd Dydd y Cofio yn y Drenewydd.
Wrth fyfyrio ar y newidiadau sydd wedi digwydd o fewn St John ers iddo ymuno bron i 60 mlynedd yn ôl, dywedodd:
“Ers llawer dydd, roedd St John Ambulance yn cael ei adnabod fel y frigâd rhwymynnau neu blastr, ond rydym ymhell o hynny nawr.
“Mae safon yr hyfforddiant nawr, mae wedi cyrraedd lefel broffesiynol, i’r safon y mae’n cael ei chydnabod."
Pan ofynnwyd iddo beth fyddai’n ei ddweud wrth unrhyw un a oedd yn ystyried ymuno â St John, naill ai fel cymhorthydd cyntaf neu arweinydd ieuenctid, dywedodd:
“Dewch draw i siarad â ni. Os oes digwyddiad yn eich ardal, mae siawns dda bod St John yno.
“Dewch draw, cael sgwrs gyda ni, neu galwch heibio i’ch adran leol a chael sgwrs gyda’r arweinwyr.”
Wrth sôn am y cyfleoedd y mae gwirfoddoli gyda St John wedi’u rhoi iddo, dywedodd:
“Rhwng y digwyddiadau chwaraeon a’r digwyddiadau cerddoriaeth gyda’r holl gyngherddau, maen nhw’n gyfleoedd gwych i bobl fynd draw a gweld digwyddiadau mawr yn ogystal â’u sioeau lleol.”
Dywedodd Paul Griffiths OBE KStJ JP DL, Prior Cymru a Chadeirydd Bwrdd Ymddiriedolwyr St John Ambulance Cymru:
"Hoffem longyfarch David ar dderbyn yr anrhydedd fawreddog hon i gydnabod ei ddegawdau o ymroddiad i gefnogi ei gymuned, gan gynnwys ei waith ar ran St John Ambulance Cymru ar lefel leol, sirol a chenedlaethol.
"Mae wedi neilltuo miloedd o oriau o'i amser sbâr i gadw pobl yng Nghymru yn ddiogel ac rydym yn hynod ddiolchgar am ei ymdrechion parhaus ar ran ein helusen."
Ychwanegodd David nad oes ganddo unrhyw gynlluniau i roi ei becyn cymorth cyntaf ar yr hoel eto, a’i fod i ddychwelyd i rôl Comisiynydd Powys ym mis Awst, bron i 60 mlynedd ers iddo ymuno fel Cadét am y tro cyntaf.
I gael rhagor o wybodaeth am wirfoddoli gyda St John Ambulance Cymru ewch i www.sjacymru.org.uk/volunteer.