Happy new year, it's resolution time

It’s that time of year again.  On New Year’s Eve we reflected on all that we've done over the past year, all our successes, all our failures... other moments. On New Year’s Day we can start to think about this coming year, what we can do to better ourselves, better our families or better our communities. So what are your plans for the new year, have you made any resolutions yet?

  

When thinking about resolutions, I suspect the two more common categories are learning a new skill and doing more for charity. So here’s a thought, why not kill two birds with one stone? Learn first aid and become a volunteer first aider with St John Ambulance.
  

Learning first aid is perhaps the greatest skill you could learn. Okay so you may end up doing things as seemingly mundane as putting a plaster on a paper cut, but ultimately you could save someone’s life. Now that sounds like a pretty damn good skill to learn. Each year in the UK up to 150,000 people die in situations where first aid could have made the difference. Given the chance, wouldn't you want to be that difference? I know I would.

  

St John Ambulance are always seeking new volunteers to help provide first aid cover at loads of public events, many of which would not be able to go ahead without first aiders present. You don't even need a prior knowledge of first aid as full training will be given. Training goes beyond just learning first aid and many more skills can be developed - communications, driving, teaching, radio operating, management and leadership.
  
So why not give it a go, what have you got to lose?

  

Okay so maybe it would be more accurate to say that the most common resolution people make is to do more exercise and lose weight. Alas, St John Ambulance can’t really help you with that. Unless of course you want to run a marathon and raise money - kill three birds with one stone*.
  

* Please note, no actual birds were harmed in the writing of this blog.