A St John Ambulance volunteer has received a High Sheriff of Cumbria Special Recognition Certificate for his volunteering efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ian Gaynor has volunteered over 600 hours to crew ambulances across the North of England as part of St John Ambulance’s support to the NHS.
Ian has been committed to his voluntary work despite being away from his family who are based on the Isle of Man.
He was in the north of England when lockdown was instigated, and the Isle of Man immediately closed its borders to the UK.
St John Ambulance has provided over 150,000 hours of care during the Covid-19 pandemic through volunteer ambulance crew, volunteering in hospitals and supporting a variety of community projects.
“It was a shock to receive this award as I’m just going in and doing my job. I didn’t think twice about volunteering because it’s something I felt that I should do because I have the skills and training to help” Ian said.
“It was important for me to use my skills to help the public during the pandemic. You volunteer for a reason and that is to make a difference to people’s lives.”
A first aid trainer and a longstanding volunteer, Ian is also an ambulance trainer on the Isle of Man and volunteers for events including the TT and Manx Grand Prix races.
“Ian Gaynor has been an exceptional volunteer during the pandemic and helped save lives across the North of England. It was fantastic to meet him and I was delighted to personally present him with his High Sheriff of Cumbria Special Recognition Certificate,” said Julie Barton, High Sheriff of Cumbria.
“I was so impressed by not only Ian, but also all the St John Ambulance volunteers who have worked long shifts alongside the NHS as emergency ambulance drivers and paramedics during the Covid-19 Crisis.
Their generous and selfless support as volunteers has kept others safe and helped to save lives.”
For more information on St John Ambulance’s work, health advice and details of the charity’s current fundraising appeal visit www.sja.org.uk/COVID-19
