St John Association of Sri Lanka

Who we are

St John Ambulance Sri Lanka was established in 1906.  It is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) registered as a social service/non-governmental organisation under the Voluntary Services Organisation Act No 31 of 1980 as amended by Act No 08 of 1998 by the Government of Sri Lanka.

The activities of St John Sri Lanka are governed by a national council which

consists of members with relevant expertise to support the work of St John.    The council in turn delegates authority to an Executive Committee which meets on a more regular basis.

St John Sri Lanka works nationally in Sri Lanka covering all 9 provinces.  We have a membership of over 60,000 people.

In 2006, St John Sri Lanka celebrated its centenary.

Sri Lanka at a glance

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island nation in South Asia, located about 31 kilometres from the southern coast of India.  It is home to more than 20 million people.

Sri Lanka has been a centre of Buddhist religion and culture from ancient times. Today, Sri Lanka is a multi-religious and multi-ethnic nation, with a fifth of the population following faiths other than Buddhism - notably Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. The Sinhalese community forms the majority of the population with Tamils, who are mostly concentrated in the north and east of the island, forming the second main population grouping.

Famous for its production and export of tea, coffee, rubber and coconuts, Sri Lanka boasts a progressive and modern industrial economy. The natural beauty of Sri Lanka's tropical forests, beaches and landscape, as well as its rich cultural heritage make it a world famous tourist destination.

The country won its independence in 1948 as the Commonwealth of Ceylon.  In 1972, it became a republic within the Commonwealth and was renamed Sri Lanka.

What we do

First Aid and Training Courses:

St John Sri Lanka provides a range of training courses to individuals and companies.  These include:

  • Essentials of First Aid for school children
  • First Aid for adults
  • First Aid in the work place for the commercial and industrial sectors and government departments
  • First Aid awareness
  • CPR course
  • Home nursing
  • Primary health care
  • Disaster preparedness
  • Emergency medical technician

First Aid at public events:

Volunteers from St John Sri Lanka are on hand to provide first aid and assistance during a range of national public events throughout Sri Lanka.  These include:

  • Independence Day
  • Sripada pilgrimage
  • Katharagama Festival
  • Katharagama Padayathra
  • Talawila Festival
  • Poson Festival – Anuradhapura
  • And many others

Kitty Programme

The St John kitty programme provides first aid and other training to young people aged between 6 and 11 years).  Training normally takes place within the school environment.  Subjects which are covered include:

  • First aid kitty
  • Safety kitty
  • Caring kitty
  • Communication kitty
  • Health kitty
  • Games kitty
  • Resourceful kitty
  • Hobbies kitty

Links

St John in Sri Lanka has long-standing links with the Counties of both Berkshire and Buckinghamshire in England.

The St John family responded generously as the aftermath of the tsunami was felt in Sri Lanka.  Many Associations and Priories contributed finances, goods and services in support of populations affected by the natural disaster.  An especially close relationship was established with the Johanniter both for immediate relief work and longer term rehabilitation.

The Priory of Canada has provided training to St John Sri Lanka members in disaster management.