St John Association of Singapore
Who we are
St John Ambulance was first introduced in Singapore in 1935. Shortly after the outbreak of World War II, the government re-assigned all St John personnel to form the nucleus of the Medical Auxiliary Service (MAS) which was part of the Passive Defense Services of Singapore and Malaya.
St John Ambulance was successfully re-established after the war. The St John Council was established in 1952 and became the National St John Council when Singapore became an independent sovereign nation in 1965. The National St John Council of Singapore was formally registered under the Societies Act in October 1970.
Singapore at a glance
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore is an island nation located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. It lies 137 kilometres north of the Equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At 704.0 km², it is one of the few remaining city-states in the world and the smallest country in Southeast Asia.
In 1963, it merged with Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak to form Malaysia. Less than two years later it split from the federation and became an independent republic on 9 August 1965. Singapore joined the United Nations on September 21 that same year.
Since independence, Singapore's standard of living has increased. A state-led industrialization drive has created a modern economy based on electronics manufacturing, petrochemicals, tourism and financial services alongside the traditional entrepôt trade. Singapore is the 17th wealthiest country in the world in terms of GDP per capita.
According to government statistics, the population of Singapore as of September 2007 was 4.68 million. There is a very high literacy rate and it is ranked 26th out of 177 in the United Nations Human Development Index.
What we do
St John Singapore activities include:
- Public duties
- First Aid Training for the public, Police and Civil Defence Force
- Home nursing and higher nursing courses
- Officer Training courses
- National Disaster Response
- Non-emergency and wheelchair ambulance services.
Youth
Cadets form a very strong element of St John in Singapore. Service as a St John cadet counts towards mandatory National Service. There is a cadet proficiency scheme with 34 proficiency badges that include life saving and community service. Cadet divisions are formed in schools where there is a strong focus on First Aid training. Teachers are encouraged to become leaders of schools' divisions and St John runs a teacher-officers course. Other activities include cadet camps and hospital and nursing home attachments.
International Links: St John Singapore holds regular first aid competitions with St John Malaysia. It is part of St John’s Asia Pacific Region and takes part in regular regional meetings. St John Singapore also has links with the St John in the English County of Suffolk who helped them to set up a Badger Set for 6-11 year olds.