St John Association of Cyprus

Who we are

The St John Brigade and Association Cyprus was first established in 1926 and since then is consistently working to achieve its noble cause, i.e. to train First Aiders and to provide qualified personnel for day-care services at home for both adults and children. It is a charity institution and has been registered so in 1975 after a decision by the Council of Ministers.

In 2005 a Company limited by guarantee was incorporated and along with the Association, which after a court decision in 2003 had a new charter, constitute the new organizational set-up; this set-up follows very closely the prevailing situation in England. It should be noted that the company remains till today dormant although lately concerted action has been taken to activate it.

The paramount aims of the Association are to enhance social welfare at large and to alleviate human discomfort, suffering, illness or danger; in doing so no discrimination is accommodated with regard to sex, race, colour, social status, faith or beliefs. Training of First Aiders constitute the main activity through which the objectives of the Association are achieved. Note should be taken of the fact that the small size of the island along with the enlarged field of responsibilities of related bodies, mainly Governmental, leave limited scope for our activity.

Cyprus at a glance

Cyprus, officially the Republic of Cyprus is an island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean south of Turkey, west of the Levant, north of Egypt, and east-southeast of Greece.

Cyprus is the third-largest island in the Mediterranean and one of its most popular tourist destinations, attracting over 2.4 million tourists per year. A former British colony, it gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1960 and became a Commonwealth republic in 1961. The Republic of Cyprus is classified as a developed country and has been a member of the European Union since 1 May 2004.

The Republic of Cyprus, the internationally recognized state, has de jure sovereignty over 97% of the island of Cyprus and all surrounding waters, and the United Kingdom controls the remaining three percent. The Cypriot economy is prosperous and has diversified in recent years. Cyprus has been sought as a base for several offshore businesses, due to its highly developed infrastructure.

In 2007 the population was estimated at 788,457 and it is ranked 28th out of 177 countries in the 2006 United Nations Human Development Index.

What we do

First Aid training:

The training of First Aid instructors and their continuous upgrading constitute a large activity for St John Cyprus. Courses are organized on an island-wide and/or district basis depending on the number of the interested persons. The mixing of people from different districts and from those that are posted either with the association or the brigades has been proved very beneficial for both, the quality of instruction and the strengthening of relationships between themselves.

In 2005 courses for the training of trainers were organized for the Police Force, the Fire brigade, the Civil Defense and the Electricity Authority of Cyprus.

The Association has also come to an agreement with the Cyprus Athletic Organisation under which all instructors and personnel will undergo basic training and upgrading courses through St John.

During 2005 about 3000 certificates have been issued to people that followed courses organized by the Association.

Youth:

St John Cyprus has designed a tailer-made First Aid course for secondary schools and is now an integral part of the curriculum for students of the 2rd grade. It is hoped that this activity will in future lay the foundation for First Aid to be widely accepted as a must by the Cyprus community.