Update on Humanitarian Aid for Ukraine

The members of the JOIN network continue to provide and expand their aid. Next to immediate emergency relief, transport services, as well as accommodation and support for refugees, many of our members make arranged medical deliveries to hospitals in Ukraine and to refugees in Ukraine's border regions. The explosion of the Kachowka Dam caused a water crisis and the supply of clean water remains a problem. Johanniter Germany and its partner organisations are helping in Kherson and Mykolaev with camp beds, food, hygiene items, clothes, dishes, shovels, household cleaners, and water filters. Johanniter partners have distributed more than one million litres of drinking water in water tanks or water bottles in the past month. Amongst others, our Polish member supported the delivery of 40 food kits and kits for women to people in need in Kharkiv in the second half of July. Read all updates on our network's activity for Ukraine here.

JOIN Board meets online

On 21st August, the new JOIN Board elected at the last AGM in May met online for a regular meeting. Representatives from St John Ambulance England, Saint-Jean France, S.O.G.IT Italy, and St John Malta co-opted Friederike von Bar as the new Board member representing Johanniter Germany. The Board discussed finances, the organisation of next year’s Annual General Meeting, JOIN’s lobbying activities as well as the latest projects of the working groups and the implementation of the EU-funded research project MED1stMR. Continue reading

Clinical Working Group meets in London

From 12th to 13th August, the JOIN Clinical Working Group met in London to finalise the manuscript of its First Aid Manual for Young People. Delegates from England, Germany, Italy and the JOIN Office came together for the two-day meeting. Our medical doctors reviewed the content of the manuscript and inserted professional illustrations. Continue reading

The publications of our Clinical Working Group can be downloaded for free at https://www.firstaidjoin.org/.

New Volunteer Swap opportunities in Germany, Italy, Malta and the Netherlands

Our members offer ten more projects for volunteers to join their teams and provide first aid at events and give assistance to holiday guests.

• Johanniter Germany offers four more opportunities to provide first aid at skiing competitions in Bavaria. You can join the German colleagues in Oberstdorf for the Ski Jump World Cup in December, the Women's Ski Jump World Cup at the turn of the year, the Nordic Combined World Cup in January 2024 and the Ski Flying World Cup in February. Johanniter Germany also already offers you to join them at the Southside Festival in June 2024.

• For the first time, our Italian member offers two opportunities to join them already in September at the Lignano International Triathlon (14th and 15th September) and the Italian Bike Week (14th to 17th).
• St John Malta welcomes you to provide first aid at the EuroPride Parade and Concert in Valletta from 15th to 17th September.
• Our Dutch member invites you to join two of their assisted holidays for older lonely people in a hotel in the Netherlands (23rd December – 27th December and 29th December – 1st January 2024).

An English volunteer at the day centre in Latvia

"I was attracted to this volunteering opportunity in Latvia because it demonstrates the wider ethos and scope of charities across the orders of St John and Johanniter. Sveta Jana Paldiziba is a social care charity that primarily focuses on delivering passionate and effective care to the local community and people who most need it."

Sveta Jana Palidziba is running a day centre for mentally challenged people. Luke from St John Ambulance travelled to Riga and joined our Latvian member at the day centre from 15th to 22nd July. Read about his experience here.

Two English volunteers at the music festival in Malta

On 18th July, St John Malta provided First Aid at the Isle of MTV Malta, Europe’s biggest free music festival. The team of St John Malta was joined by two English volunteers who travelled to Valletta for the event. Read about the experiences of Julia and Lewis and find out about the differences in healthcare practices between Malta and England.

Two English volunteers at the U23 Championships in Finland

From 13th to 16th July 2023, the European Athletics Under 23 Championships took place in Espoo, Finland, where 1,100 athletes from 40 different countries fought for Under 23 European Championship success. Aaron and Isabella from St John Ambulance joined their Finnish colleagues and worked as first aiders to provide safety to athletes, spectators, and officials. Aaron from Birmingham reports about his experience at the four-day event here.

Two German volunteers at the Bristol Balloon Fiesta

The annual Bristol Balloon Fiesta is one of the largest international hot-air balloon festivals, attracting around 80,000 visitors each year. Johannes and Lara from Johanniter Germany. travelled to Bristol to join the team of our English member, which provided treatment centres, foot patrols and ambulances across the event from 10th to 13th August. Johannes reports about his four days of medical service with St John Ambulance in English and in German here.

Germany: Six months after earthquake Johanniter continues to provide aid in Turkey and Syria

Six months ago, devastating earthquakes hit Turkey and Syria. 57,000 people died, and almost 18 million people are directly affected. Johanniter was quickly on site and continues to help people today. Together wir their partner organisation Multi Aid Programs -MAPS, Johanniter has delivered 10,000 litres of fuel to 5 hospitals in Syria’s Afrin region, provided 20,168 hot meals to 2,000 people, repaired 50 houses with 125 to follow until November and supported over 1,000 families with cash assistance. In Turkey, they provided 80,000 hot meals, distributed 4,290 hygiene kits, 780 baby kits and provided 1,600 families with grocery vouchers. In addition to continuing these activities, our German member is already planning further reconstruction and relief measures for the upcoming winter months, especially in Syria, where many people will have to continue to live in tents in freezing temperatures. Read more (in German) here.

England: St John Ambulance publishes CPR advice in British Sign Language

On 2nd August, St John Ambulance published a new lifesaving video in British Sign Language (BSL) to help increase cardiac arrest survival rates within the Deaf community by showcasing how to give vital CPR and use a defibrillator. Created as part of St John Ambulances 'CPR Community Network’, a partnership between St John and NHS England, the video features deaf actor, Alex Nowak, and hard of hearing St John First Aider, Sarah Jacobs, performing life-saving chest compressions and defib shocks to a patient. With a BSL interpreter to the side, the video provides a step-by-step guide explaining how to use a video relay service (999BSL) approved by the Office of Communications to help deaf and BSL speakers communicate with emergency services. Read more here.

The Netherlands: Johanniter has new partner organisation

Johanniter Nederland has a new cooperation partner in ‘Oma's Soep’, an organisation that aims to eliminate loneliness among the elderly. Johanniter Nederland organises two holidays every year in December for single elderly people who would like to spend the holidays in company, but do not have sufficient financial means to go on holiday themselves. These guests are invited through partner organisations. Often, the guests are people from the same city, so that they can continue to meet after the holidays. This year our Dutch member is working together with Oma's Soep for the 5-day holiday around the turn of the year (see Volunteer Swap opportunity above). Student volunteers of this organisation visit the elderly all year round and specifically invite those elderly people who need such a holiday the most. Read more (in Dutch) here.

World Humanitarian Day 2023

On 19th August, World Humanitarian Day brings together people from across the globe to pay tribute to the aid workers bringing relief and life-saving assistance to people in need. This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the attack on the UN headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq. We come together to honour humanitarians around the world who strive to meet ever-growing global needs. No matter the danger or the hardship, humanitarians such as those of our German member Johanniter International Assistance venture deep into disaster-stricken regions and on the front lines of conflict, strive to save and protect people in need.