St John Ambulance

To my shame, despite having lived in Harlow for over twenty-five years, I've never before set foot in the church of St Mary at Latton in Mark Hall. That's rectified today, however, as I've been invited to the St John Ambulance nursing division service. Seven new cadets are being enrolled; one member of the division is receiving her Grand Prior award; and Ian Jackson is being instituted as President of the local division.

The church is charming, and while the organ plays before the event begins I glance at the plaques on the walls - short stories of people's lives in the eighteenth century when the building was the parish church. One lady, a widow from Kent, remarried and lived to a ripe old age to be buried with her vicar son. Another is too far away to read clearly, but did she really bear five children before dying at the age of 26?

I hadn't given much thought to the history of the St John Ambulance, but it goes back a long way, to a religious order in the time of the Crusades. The service reflects this, with the promise made by the new cadets, and the Code of Chivalry repeated by all members of the division during the service.

After the service, we adjourn to the church hall, where the cadets are all inspected, and certificates are presented. Over tea, I have a chance to catch up with people I didn't know were involved with St John Ambulance - including Eve, who sold me my BlackBerry in the local T-Mobile shop, and Ami, who was at school with my son Tom.

It's great to see young people learning skills, taking responsibility and doing something worthwhile with their spare time. All credit to them.