Coventry St John Ambulance vs The Enemy

So this was Godiva festival 2007. Reading my previous post is slightly unnerving as to how close to reality it was. It was the most challenging weekend of my St John life.

Friday started with the obligatory pre-briefing at McDonalds before loading all the equipment needed for the weekend. Once we were done it was off to the park to set up out treatment center. Unfortunately this was a tiny unit but needs must!

With the first aid post set up, our team of members turned up for the first of the weekends briefings. A minutes silence was held in memory of Mary and all the essential info passed on. The back stage crew found their places where they could keep an eye on the crowds and of course the Human League! Meanwhile I settled down in control with a pork patch and got ready to deal with the influx of calls. The evening was fairly problem free and i even got chance to get a few games of solitaire in thanks to my new hands free radio :-)

The evening wasn't entirely without incident and one of the crews had a late job to hospital so I had to wait around to ensure all was ok. At 2.30am I found the peace and quiet of my bed, but I could of sworn I could still hear the Human league in my sleep.

Saturday morning started way too early for my liking when I had to transport the members down to the start of the procession. Then it was off back to the park for a meeting with the security manager about the evenings performances. "It's going to be busy" was the message so a quick rejig of resources was needed.

Saturday lunchtime came and with it the challenge of getting everyone fed and watered. No mean feat with 30+ members and cadets.

The eve of Godiva festival

Tomorrow is Friday 13th. It's also the start of the Godiva festival in Coventry and no doubt a stressful weekend for me. I know it's going to be one of the most challenging few days of my life, but I'm looking forward to it, and relishing the challenge.

I can be assured that there's a great team of people who will work together and help each other out when the chips are down. But i'm not going sit back and let problems arise. I'm intending to be proactive and chip in with everyone else.

I'm sure this reads really badly, but the message and ethos that I will be taking to the festival is that I want everyone there, working to provide the best level of care we can. There is no place for pettiness and no place for ulterior motives. This is a fun event, and i'm going there to enjoy myself as well as to do a job.

I've been thinking about the festival all week, running through 'what if...' scenarios. I think we're prepared for most eventualities. I suppose at this point in time i'd really like to thank all the members who have pledged their support, and who've helped during this difficult time. It's an honor to work with people who are passionate about St. John.

Anyway, that's it for now. I hope i'll be able to update the blog over the weekend with whats been going on.

Mary

St. John Ambulance received the sad news that Mary, our sector duty officer had passed away. Mary was one of those true St. John people who was always there for everyone. She spent an extraordinary amount of time organizing cover for duties and often came along too.

All of us will miss Mary and we offer our condolences to John and family.

It's got to be said however that the spirit shown by the vast majority of members has been superb during this difficult time. There's been a real sense of togetherness, and the feeling that Mary worked so hard to ensure that Coventry could cover every event and we have to continue that.