Young people will be taught practical first aid skills
The programme has already helped thousands of young people learn life-saving skills(Image: St John Ambulance)
Young people have the chance to learn vital life skills such as using a scarf to stem a bleed or dealing with a spiking incident. Two more years of funding for the Young Responders scheme, run by St John Ambulance, has been secured, and will show young people how to respond to acts of violence – and help save lives.
The on-the-street first aid training aims to help combat violence and community safety concerns. It will focus on those most at risk of serious violence, spiking and knife crime.
St John Ambulance will deliver training, which is funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for Humberside and facilitated by the Humber Violence Prevention Partnership (VPP). The training scheme will run until March 2028, building upon St John Ambulance’s Young Responders programme, which has already reached more than 4,100 people aged between 11 and 25 since June 2025.
Young people will be taught practical first aid skills, including making a tourniquet from a pen and a scarf to stem a bleed, dealing with an alcohol or vape spiking incident and performing CPR. As well as improving confidence and knowledge when dealing with emergency situations, those taking part will also have open discussions on mental wellbeing following these incidents, plus the dangers of carrying a knife and behaviour that can lead to serious violence.
St John Ambulance will work closely with the Humber VPP to make sure communities experiencing higher levels of deprivation and community violence are prioritised for the training. Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Evison said: “I am pleased to fund St John Ambulance to deliver their excellent Young Responders training in the region for two more years.
“The impact of the programme so far has been excellent with more than double the number of young people trained in these vital skills than was originally targeted. Not only is it important to equip young people with the knowledge and confidence to act when required, the real-world scenarios which form the basis of the training help them to make better choices and avoid such situations in the first place.”
St John Ambulance’s Young Responders project manager Pauline Bartley said: “Securing our second tranche of funding from the OPCC marks a significant step forward for our Young Responders service. This funding will support the expansion of our service across Humberside, helping us reach more young people who may not otherwise have access to lifesaving skills. Street First Aid gives young people the confidence to act in a crisis and make a real difference in their communities. We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to continue this vital work.”
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