St John Ambulance Cymru Cadets are our volunteers who are aged 11-15 years old. They meet weekly and there are a number of roles they can fulfill, from completing their Grand Prior Award to volunteering at events, or helping younger volunteers learn new skills.
Joining us as a Cadet is a great way to see the later opportunities you can have in the organisation and get a head start in developing skills and gaining valuable experience for a future career in health and social care.
Cadet Responder
The first aid role for Cadets.
Once Cadets have completed their passport of training modules and shown their Basic Life Saving Skills to one of our Trainers, they can then help with treating casualties at SJAC First Aid posts at Events.
Our first aid training involves more than just bandaging! Look at the full list here:
Manual Handling, Consent & Communication, Choking, Wheelchair Safety, Primary Survey, Asthma, Safeguarding, Secondary Survey, Anaphylaxis, Radio Communications, Recovery Position, Chest Pain, PRFs & Handovers, CPR & AEDs, Bleeding & Shock, IPC & PPE, Burns & Scalds, Stroke, Scene Safety, MSK Injuries and Seizures.
This training also gives Cadets a head start when they turn 16 and begin working on their adult first aid training, as it ticks off nearly all modules on the adult Foundation Passport. Our Cadet Responders keep their role when joining adults while working towards the Event Responder role, which they can sign off as soon as they reach their 17th birthday.
Look out for the opportunity to show off these skills in our First Aid Competitions. These challenge you to perfect your technique and inspire the organisation to be the best it can be.
Volunteering at Events
Putting your skills into practice, whatever they may be.
An event for us can be anything from the Autumn Internationals at Principality Stadium to a local tournament at the rugby club in your town – we love it all!
Of course, we provide first aid treatment, but that’s not the only way to get out and about…
If you’re yet to achieve your Cadet Responder, or are unsure whether it’s for you, you can attend events as an observer. You won’t be able to treat patients, but you can watch and learn from our experienced volunteers.
Running first aid posts takes more than just first aiders, especially for the bigger Events. We’re working on creating opportunities so you can see how it all works behind the scenes and learn some of the logistics skills.
Remember, our mission is to teach as many people as possible about lifesaving techniques – so you can also volunteer as a first aid demonstrator and help us with fundraising!
All of these hours build towards your Service Award, where we celebrate the dedication and efforts of our Cadets making the most of their skills.
The Grand Prior Award
Challenge yourself!
In their weekly sessions, Cadet Units work towards achieving their Grand Prior Award. To achieve it, you need to have completed 12 Themes and a Project. Along the way, you can earn your Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards.
The Themes
Personal Safety, A Community of Lifesavers, Our World & Beyond, Future Proof, Outdoor Essentials, Youth Empowerment, Our Community, Tech & Trauma, Healthy & Active, Healthy Minds, Our Organisation, Our Voice and Communication.
Each Theme includes a range of activities for us to gain new skills and knowledge. For example, challenging the Unit to fund for and organise setting up a Public Access Bleed Control Kit in a local area.
You can also gain Themes by: Gaining the Cadet Responder role, becoming a Peer Demonstrator, or completing Lead Cadet training.
The Project
The project is split into two sections: Healthcare and Environmental Impact. Cadets look for a small but measurable way they can make a positive change in their Units. We don’t ask you to write up the project but to create a portfolio of the evidence so we can show off your hard work!
Peer Demonstrator
Give others the skills to save lives.
Our Cadet Peer Demonstrator course allows you to train others in life saving techniques, including leading Cadet Responder modules within your own Unit. You could take your expertise on the road and give CPR demonstrations at SJAC stalls or show how to properly treat choking in a school assembly.
This course can be the first step on the road to becoming a fully-fledged SJAC trainer – it perfectly prepares Cadets to undertake the First Aid Demonstrator training. Not only do we train our own volunteers in Divisions, but we run courses for companies and organisations across the country. If you’re interested in sharing lifesaving knowledge, this could be just the start of your journey.
Our trainers are at the heart of our Divisions and our mission in Wales. No matter what your long-term goals are, there are many transferrable skills that you can develop while running sessions and coaching others.
Lead Cadet
Stand up for others and stand out of the crowd.
Our Lead Cadets are typically older (15+) and have been working towards this qualification for some time. They act as a leader in their Cadet Units in every way, from helping to deliver Themes to supporting and mentoring new joiners.
Lead Cadets will have completed the Young Leader Foundation course, which provides grounding in the skills needed to organise and run groups. It also focuses on how to keep everyone safe and engaged, knowledge which extends far beyond SJAC and helps our young people with leading a whole range of sports teams and societies.
All Lead Cadets may also undertake a Level 1 in Youth Work from Adult Learning Wales, an external qualification that sets them up to be of irreplaceable value to their Units and prepares them for success in their future careers.
Ein Llais
Making SJAC your organisation.
Ein Llais is the youth governance system within SJAC. There’s a grassroots Hub, an online space, where everyone from 5-25 years old can share their opinions and feedback their thoughts on what could make the organisation the best it can be.
The Youth Advisory Panel (or YAP) is our group of eleven incredible Youth Ambassadors who take those ideas and turn them into reality. They meet four times a year and speak for SJAC Youth whenever the need arises.
Amongst these ambassadors is the National Lead Cadet, a Cadet who acts not only as an advocate for all Cadets but who also attends National Events to represent them.
There is a new National Lead Cadet every year – it could be you!