HIGH Wycombe’s St John Ambulance is celebrating 100 years - and hardworking volunteers who have given more than one million hours of their time to serving the community have been recognised by Wycombe District Council.

Henry Allum and Kendall Samuel from St John Ambulance were presented with a certificate at Monday’s full Wycombe District Council meeting by Cllr Paul Turner.

Accepting the award, Mr Allum said: "In the last 100 years, volunteers in High Wycombe have selflessly given more than a million hours of service to the community and have touched the lives of tens of thousands of people in their time of need, maybe even helping or supporting someone in your family when they needed it most.

"There have been hundreds of St John Ambulance volunteers in High Wycombe over the last 100 years. I would like to thank them all for their contribution."

He also highlighted the importance of learning vital first aid.

He said: "No-one should die due to lack of available first aid. It is the difference between a life lost and a life saved.

"That is why we teach to as many people as possible."

Our Nostalgia columnist Mike Dewey will be writing a full account of the history of the Wycombe St John Ambulance Brigade in a short series of articles beginning in the edition of Friday, August 9.

Any readers who have been members of St John’s in the past, or have had occasion to be helped by them, are invited to contact Mike with their reminiscences.

His phone number is 01494 755070 or email him at deweymiked@aol.com.