Aileen Richards who has been awarded a very special medal to mark 60 years of service to St John Ambulance. At the Mid & West Wales Regional Awards Ceremony in Llandovery last month Aileen received the award from Richard J Paskell, their Chief Volunteer, who said, “Aileen is simply amazing; a committed, loyal and well respected member of our charity. She truly is an Exemplar of a volunteer, demonstrated through her 60+ years of service, supporting her local community in Wales. I felt humbled and proud to have been asked to present her Ultra Long Service medal. Aileen is an inspiration to us all.”
Generations of young people in Haverfordwest have been learning First Aid skills, community values and good citizenship as cadets in the St John Ambulance Brigade from 1967 when the Cadet Division was restarted under Aileen’s leadership. Before that she had been a member of the St George Nursing Division in Gloucester and an auxiliary nurse with the National Hospital Service Reserve. Aileen was inspired to join St John Ambulance when, a week an accident involving one of her children, she saw an ad. for First Aid classes and enrolled for the course. Aileen provided motivating leadership for the development of the Haverfordwest Cadets and was then Cadet Officer for Dyfed, a member of the St John Council for Pembrokeshire and became Haverfordwest’s Divisional President in 2018.
She is a truly exemplary volunteer, rightly honoured yet remaining humble and appreciative of others.