JOINews July


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Monthly Newsletter

July 2023

News from the Network

Update on Humanitarian Aid for Ukraine

Our members’ provision of aid to the people of Ukraine remains uninterrupted. The situation for the people who have already been enduring the turmoil of war for 16 months has been dramatically exacerbated by the explosion of the Kakhovka dam. Johanniter Germany and its partner organisations are helping thousands of survivors in Kherson and Mykolaev with camp beds, food, hygiene items, clothes, dishes, shovels, household cleaners and anti-mould agents. Volunteers go from house to house pumping the remaining dirty water out of the cellars and living spaces. Water filters also help to make polluted water usable again for washing and cooking. Johanniter and its partner NEW DAWN also train children about how to behave in contact with mines and unexploded ordnance. Especially the formerly occupied and liberated areas in eastern and southern Ukraine are among the most mine-contaminated regions in the world. Children's festivals are organised four times a month, where around 250 children learn about mines and how to deal with them. In total, up to 12,000 children are to be trained in the coming months. Read all updates on our network's activity for Ukraine here.

Volunteer Swap

An English volunteer at the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin

From 16th to 25th June, the Special Olympics World Games took place in Berlin where thousands of athletes with intellectual disabilities competed together in 26 summer sports. The Games are the world’s largest inclusive sporting event and were for the first time held in Germany. At the 16th World Games, 7.000 athletes from 190 delegations were welcomed together with 20.000 volunteers for 9 full days of sports and emotions. Johanniter’s regional association of Berlin provided medical services at the Games. The German teams were supported by their English colleague Euan from St John Ambulance who travelled from Nottingham to the event. Here is what he reports.

A German volunteer at the Cambridge Summer Balls

St John Ambulance provided first aid at the Cambridge summer balls from 16th to 24th June. Many colleges at the University of Cambridge threw extravagant parties for their students to celebrate the end of the exam period. These festivities are called May Balls, despite occurring in June, and provide unlimited access to entertainment, from musical acts to magic shows and fairground rides. Our English member covered over 30 different balls and parties over the course of the week . The teams were supported by Larissa, a volunteer from Germany. If you want to know what it is like to transport patients through winding courtyards, what ‘punting’ is, and what that all had to do with a dinosaur, read her report here.

Four German volunteers at the Open-Air Music Festival in Austria

From 24th to 25th June, the Summer Open Air Music event ‘Wenn die Musi spielt’ took place with numerous stars playing in front of the mountain scenery in Bad Kleinkirchheim, Carinthia. The local branch of Johanniter Austria provided first aid to the visitors and was joined by four colleagues from Germany who travelled by car to Austria. Read the report by Andreas here.

Report by an English volunteer at the Sweden Rock Festival

From 7th to 10th June, the Sweden Rock Festival took place outside the city of Sölvesborg in the south of Sweden. Johanniterhjälpen was joined by three English and two German volunteers who together provided first aid to the spectators of the annual open-air music event. You can read the report by Jack Nixon from St John Ambulance about his experience at the Volunteer Swap in Sweden here.

News from the Members

Johanniter Germany at annual parade of St John Ambulance Kenya

A team from Johanniter Germany was honoured at the annual inspection parade of St John Ambulance Kenya in Nairobi for their joint first responder project. St John Kenya and Johanniter Germany collaborate in the first responder project with the support of the German government. Volunteers run several first aid units along the main highway from Nairobi to Mombasa to offer lifesaving first responses to the many roadside accidents. These small units also serve the local community in other ways, such as with food provision. The ceremony was hosted by Kenya’s President, Dr William Ruto, who is also the patron of St John Kenya. He handed over the Certificates of Recognition and thanked St John and Johanniter for their commitment to disaster response and community support in Kenya. Watch the video of the event held on 27th June here.

The Netherlands: Johanniter organises children’s weekend at amusement park

Our Dutch member regularly organises holidays for three different target groups: older adults with a need for care, for those who are lonely and for children from underprivileged families. From 28th to 30th July, Johanniter organised a weekend stay for children at the Dutch amusement park 'De Efteling'. The annual trip was created for groups of children whose families cannot easily go on holidays. The group of primary school children was accompanied by Johanniter volunteers who ensured a fun and carefree time for the children.

Austria: renewed website

Johanniter Austria has updated its website and introduced a new vibrant design and dynamic layout with easy navigation. You can read about our Austrian member's latest news, first aid training courses, care and support services, emergency medical services, projects as well as research and innovation here.

News from Europe

MED1stMR Pilot session in Zurich

On 3rd and 4th July, the consortium of the MED1stMR project gathered in Zurich to prepare for the Field Trials starting at the end of July. On the premises of the technology partner Refense AG, small groups tested the system and the newly developed features to help finalise the scenario script for the virtual triage training and check the procedures. Trainers from all over Europe got familiarised with the MED1stMR system operation to be ready for the next six months. Continue reading

MED1stMR initial Field Trial in Vienna

Within the framework of the MED1stMR research project, the mixed reality training system was developed in the past two years to prepare first responders in the best possible way for complex mass casualty incidents. First responders can train for different scenarios in a virtual environment using real equipment. The training solution was thoroughly tested and evaluated in the first Field Trial at the Johanniter Research and Innovation Centre in Vienna led by Johanniter Austria. From 25th to 28th July, trainers and first responders practised deployment in a tunnel bus crash scenario. Continue reading

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