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As the charity approaches its 150th anniversary, St John Ambulance is entering a new chapter from its base in Barnsley.
Most people will recognise St John Ambulance from football matches, concerts, and community events. They’re the reassuring presence in green uniforms, ready to step in when someone needs help. But behind that familiar picture is a story that goes back much further than many people realise.
For workplace trainer and volunteer Amanda Garside, that long history is part of what makes the organisation so special.
“St John Ambulance is a charity organisation,” she explains. “The overarching mission is to ensure no life is lost due to a lack of first aid or people understanding first aid.”
Founded in 1877, the modern day organisation has its 150th anniversary coming up in 2027. But its roots go back even further. The original Order of St John dates back almost a thousand years, when members cared for the sick and injured during the Crusades.
Today, St John Ambulance works in several ways. Volunteers support local communities and events, while a commercial arm delivers workplace training. This generates income that helps fund the charity’s wider work, all supporting the same mission.
“Alongside my role as a workplace trainer, I volunteer with St John Ambulance too,” says Amanda. “The commercial side of our work feeds into the charity helping us to offer the volunteer side.”
The charity’s volunteers come from a wide range of backgrounds, from young people exploring medical careers to experienced professionals giving back in their spare time.
“We have doctors, paramedics, and highly trained nurses who give up their time and do events for us,” Amanda says. “We’re one charity and it all works together.”
The scale of the volunteer support is incredible. In 2025 alone, trained volunteers provided 41,000 episodes of first aid across England. Every one of those moments represented someone receiving help when they needed it most.
Meanwhile, Amanda and her colleagues are helping people in the workplace to develop their skills. The Barnsley team currently deliver Emergency First Aid at Work, First Aid at Work, and Fire Marshal courses, with plans to expand the range further in the coming years.
Although Barnsley was already an established location for the team, they’d previously been hiring rooms to deliver training. This worked but never felt ideal without having a dedicated space of their own.
When the organisation began reviewing training venues across the UK, Amanda was asked to find a better solution in Barnsley. The answer came from an unexpected source. Her son had recently moved into The Business Village, giving her a first-hand look at the space.
“I visited him in his office and thought this could be a great place for us too. We drew up a shortlist of venues, and the choice soon became clear.”
For Amanda and the team, space was a big factor from the start as first aid training is very practical. Up to 12 learners at a time can be on the floor practicing CPR and recovery positions.
“We needed a nice space because people are on the floor,” says Amanda. “You don’t want hard floors or dirty carpets. You want something that’s welcoming and comfortable.”
Beyond the training room itself, practical details made a difference too. Bright rooms, reliable WiFi, and great facilities all helped. But one of the biggest advantages soon became clear: free parking. Delegates attending three-day courses in other venues had often struggled with both the cost and hassle of parking in the town centre.
“The free parking was a big selling point for us,” Amanda adds.
There are also the little extras that improve things for both trainers and delegates. The onsite Bistro gives people somewhere to relax and have lunch, while the reception team help create a warm welcome.
“The reception team are brilliant,” Amanda shares. “They send students into the Bistro, then I come down and pick them all up.”
Perhaps most importantly, the move has given the Barnsley team a permanent home. With a dedicated space, they can now lock the room and leave equipment overnight. “Nobody else is going into the room,” Amanda adds. “And students can leave their belongings overnight when they’re on a three-day course.”
The move to The Business Village has been well received by delegates themselves. Many have trained with St John Ambulance for years and followed the organisation across different venues. And their feedback on the new space has been consistently positive.
Although the Barnsley team only recently moved into The Business Village, they’re already discussing plans for future growth. The team want to bring more specialists courses to the town, including mental health first aid and paediatric first aid training.
“We want to grow Barnsley and make it a bigger venue,” Amanda says. “The idea is to offer more courses, and maybe even take on two rooms at The Business Village.”
The new relationship with The Business Village is also creating opportunities to try out different approaches.
One proposal would allow tenant businesses to take advantage of spare places on courses at short notice. This would help more people gain valuable first aid qualifications while ensuring courses run at full capacity.
“The senior team at St John Ambulance are very supportive of the idea,” Amanda says. “We’ll run it as a pilot in Barnsley and, if it works, roll it out across the country.”
She adds that the team is keen to build on the relationship locally as it develops. “We’re very positive about working with The Business Village and always open to exploring new ideas.”
For Amanda and the Barnsley team, the move has already done more than provide a new training space. It’s created room for growth, collaboration, and new opportunities within the local business community.
