Busy Wimbledon for volunteers

Following a fortnight of intense and unpredictable weather conditions, St John Ambulance has had one of their busiest Wimbledon deployments in the history of providing first aid at this world-class event.

Over the last two weeks around 250 volunteers gave up their own time to staff the Championships, treating over 1,900 casualties.

But unlike the erratic weather, the steadfast members of St John Ambulance were well prepared to deal with the unusually high demand of incidents, with around 50 volunteers, including doctors, nurses and an emergency response vehicle on site each day of the tournament.

Darron Hazelby, officer-in-charge of St John Ambulance’s Wimbledon operation, said: ‘It has been an exceptionally busy two weeks for St John Ambulance volunteers based at Wimbledon, with a significant number of spectators suffering from the effects of this impromptu heatwave.

‘I am incredibly proud of the many members who have dedicated their own time, and in some cases taking leave from their paid jobs, to support the vast amount of visitors who have turned out to enjoy the tournament.

He continued: 'Although we saw many heat related casualties as a result of the hot weather, the spectators did appear to heed our advice, which included covering up from the sun and staying hydrated throughout the day. We now urge people to continue to follow this advice throughout the summer.’