Caring Ella-Grace is Cadet of the Year

A RIPON Grammar School student has been named St John Ambulance’s District Cadet of the Year for North Yorkshire and Teesside.

Ella-Grace Foster, from Boroughbridge, was selected from a wide field of young people and will now compete in February at regional and national levels. In her new role, she will also represent St John Ambulance events and be a part of the regional youth forum.

The 15-year-old, who plans to study medicine at university, won the competition after taking part in a series of challenges which involved first aid scenarios, presentations and interviews and taking part in a debate.

Keen hockey player Ella-Grace, who also has a part-time job in a pharmacy and helps out at swimming lessons, joined the St John Ambulance more than a year ago: “I joined because I think first aid is a very important skill and I was eager to learn how to care for people in emergency situations.”

It has given her lots of opportunities, she says, including the chance to do a first aid course in the summer holidays.

“At St John Ambulance I have learnt not just first aid skills but skills you need for life such as communication, being adaptable, thinking on your feet, having confidence in yourself and the ability to stay calm in stressful situations.

St John has around 8,000 cadets nationally and last year celebrated 100 years of its cadet programme, which was established in 1922 to offer first aid training to girls and boys aged 11 to 16.

As the programme evolved, it expanded to enable young people aged 10 to 17 years to learn first aid, including how to deal with modern-day health emergencies as well as building confidence and gaining important life skills to help create a healthier, safer, more resilient future.