Today we profile Jackie Trinder, 60, from Dorchester, who volunteers with St John Ambulance Jackie Trinder, who is unmarried, is a first-aider and treasurer and fundraises as well.
For her work she was given Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action’s volunteer award.
She said: “I appreciated being nominated for it and was surprised and honoured.”
How did you become involved with the charity?
“I joined Wallingford St John Ambulance Division in 1974 with a friend after completing a first aid course through the division in 1973.”
How long have you been involved with the charity?
“I have been a member of St John Ambulance since January 1974, so 37 years. I was division secretary for Wallingford from 1995 to 2002. I joined Abingdon Vale Division when Wallingford, Didcot and Harwell divisions were merged with Abingdon in 2002.”
What does the charity mean to you?
“It means a lot to me. I have learnt several skills from the various training courses I have attended, such as child protection and protection of vulnerable adults. I have a lot of respect for all volunteers within St John Ambulance who put in many hours to complete their job role.”
How has it made a difference to your life?
“I have had a lot of help and support from members of St John Ambulance during the time that I have been a member.”
What do you do for a living and how does volunteering affect it?
“I worked for Debenhams in Oxford from 1967 to 2011 as a business support assistant and was also one of the store’s first-aiders. I retired in July 2011 and now work in Herringcote for a few days a month. My volunteering with St John Ambulance assisted me in keeping my first aid knowledge up to date and because I attended fire marshall courses and used radios on St John duties, it helped me when working at Debenhams. I live near my sisters, Anita and Jenny, who I’m very close to. Nowadays I go walking with them and I knit.”
What was your happiest moment in volunteering?
“Assisting casualties to recover from injuries and finding the best outcome and correct solution for a problem.”
What was your saddest moment in volunteering?
“The closure of the Wallingford St John Ambulance division due to the decline in the number of members.”
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