On Sunday 12 June, the Mayor of Solihull, Councillor Ken Meeson, attended the St John West Midlands Service of Celebration, where he met with members of St John Priory group. The event was a traditional church service held to celebrate both the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen and St John Ambulance’s '100 years of youth'.
2022 marks 100 years since the introduction of St John Ambulance Cadets in 1922 and 35 years since the beginning of Badgers, the charity’s youngest members.
St John Ambulance has a long and proud history of serving the people of Solihull which is why they chose to hold the service at St Alphege church.
The Mayor said:
“I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the St John Priory Group who do such good work for the West Midlands. It was a great occasion to come together to mark the Queen’s Jubilee as well as the 100 years that St John Ambulance has worked with young people.
“St John Ambulance is doing a great service in supporting the young people through their youth programme, equipping them with valuable skills including first aid, as well as helping them do a lot of good in the community.
“I hope to see the youth programme continue to develop and be successful for another 100 years after this.”
The service was also attended by the High Sheriff of the West Midlands Mr David Moorcroft OBE, Lead Deputy-Lieutenant of West Midlands, Sir Nigel Thrift, the Vice-Chancellor of the Order of St John and the Mayors of Walsall and Sandwell.
It featured reflections from St John volunteers who served in each decade of the Queen’s reign as well as a short awards ceremony to present Service Medals.
Image caption: The Mayor and Mayoress of Solihull with members of the St John Priory Group West Midlands led by the chair Paul Jarvis-Bytheway (far left); Lead Deputy-Lieutenant of West Midlands, Sir Nigel Thrift and his wife Lady Thrift; the High Sheriff of the West Midlands David Moorcroft OBE and his wife Linda; the Mayor and Consort of Sandwell; the Mayor of Walsall and her granddaughter; the Lord-Lieutenant's and High Sheriff's cadets.