AN AMMANFORD STUDENT was named the best St John’s Ambulance Cadet in Wales at an awards ceremony in Cardiff on Sunday (Jan 24).
Georgia Mills, 17, from Wern Ddu, was awarded the title following a ‘grueling’ weekend of challenges – including an interview, a demonstration of first aid skills and problem solving exercises.
Georgia, an A-Level student at Ysgol Dyffryn Amman, said she was ‘in shock’ after winning the prestigious award: “I thought I was hearing things when the announcement came. I’d made a mental list of who I thought would win and I couldn’t believe it when my name was called,” she added.
“Some of the cadets competing had been involved since they were five or six years old so I really didn’t think I had a chance!”
Georgia joined the youth division of St John’s Carmarthen two years ago. “I was looking to add things that would help me gain a place at Cardiff University. I’d already done some volunteering and joining school groups and wanted to do something that was medical and St John’s was perfect,” she explained. “
At first it was doing something for my CV but after a month or so I realised I was doing it because I loved it and I’d made some great friends. It also really changed me. I was quite shy before I started but it’s given me so much confidence.”
Georgia quickly found herself advancing in the youth section, which is based in Carmarthen, and is now a corporal.
She has volunteered at a number of events in the town as well as working on attachment to the Ammanford senior branch, where she helped out at events like the Boar Festival.
After her nomination for the for St John’s Wales Youth Awards, Georgia first won the Dyfed heats before heading to Cardiff on Saturday to compete for the Welsh title.
As cadet of the year, Georgia will have a busy year ahead of her, including a visit to Buckingham Palace in March to meet Princess Anne and marching in the Remembrance Day parade in London.
She will also have to take on a mission for the year, which she hopes to use to encourage vulnerable children to join St John’s.
“It’s going to be a busy year but as yet it hasn’t really sunk in,” Georgia added. “I don’t have much spare time but somehow I still manage to fit it all in.”
If you would like to find out more about the cadet programme at St John’s, visit their website at: www.stjohnwales.org.uk/youth
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