The Volunteer Swap is an intercultural and international exchange programme for all volunteers of JOIN member organisations. It emphasises the value of volunteering for society and enables its participants to gain new experiences within the international JOIN family.
Johanniter International member organisations invite volunteers from other countries to support them doing their job. In exchange, the volunteers are usually provided with food and accommodation and enabled to experience that they are part of the international Johanniter/ St John family. Thus, the Swap reflects and promotes one of the main priorities of Johanniter International.
The annual Bristol Balloon Fiesta is one of the largest international hot-air balloon festivals in Europe. Johannes and Lara from Johanniter Germany travelled to Bristol to join the team of St John Ambulance.
The annual St John Summer Camp in Estonia aims to offer a joyful time to people with disabilities away from their everyday routine. It is also a valuable experience of social commitment and dedication for the volunteers.
Sveta Jana Palidziba is running a daycare centre for mentally challenged people. Luke Middleton from St John Ambulance travelled to Riga and joined our Latvian member at the day centre.
On 18th July, St John Malta provided First Aid at the Isle of MTV Malta 2023.The team of our Maltese member was joined by two English volunteers who travelled to Valletta for the event.
Report by an English volunteer at the music festival in Malta.On 18th July, St John Malta provided
From 13th to 16th July 2023, the European Athletics Under 23 Championships took place in Espoo, Finland. Aaron and Isabella from St John Ambulance joined our Finnish colleagues and worked as first aiders to provide safety to athletes, spectators, and officials.
From 16th to 25th June 2023, the Special Olympics World Games took place in Berlin where thousands of athletes with intellectual disabilities competed together in 26 summer sports. Johanniter’s regional association of Berlin provided medical services at the Games and was joined by Euan from St John Ambulance who travelled from Nottingham to the event.
A Volunteer Swap for young people took place in June for the first time between volunteers from England and Germany. The JOIN Volunteering and Youth Working Group has initiated this idea and after long planning, JOIN gave 15 young people and their supervisors the opportunity to experience each other’s areas of activity.
From 24th to 25th June, the Summer Open Air Music Event ‘Wenn die Musi spielt’ took place in Carinthia. The local branch of Johanniter Austria provided medical care for the visitors and was joined by four Johanniter colleagues from Germany.
From 16th to 24th June, many colleges at the University of Cambridge threw extravagant parties to celebrate the end of the exam period. These festivities are called May Balls, despite occurring in June, St John Ambulance provided first aid for around 20 different balls and parties over the course of the week and was supported by Larissa, a volunteer from Johanniter Germany.
From 7th to 10th June the Sweden Rock Festival took place outside the city of Sölvesborg. Johanniterhjälpen was joinedthree English and two German volunteers who together provided first aid to the spectators of the annual open-air music event.
In June the Sweden Rock Festival took place outside the city of Sölvesborg. Johanniterhjälpen was joined by three English and two German volunteers who together provided first aid to the spectators of the music event.
Jack Nixon from St John Ambulance reports about his experience at the Volunteer Swap.
Johanniter Austria offers the opportunity for volunteers of all JOIN members to participate in the Patient Transport and Ambulance Service all year round.
After Alice Guillaume reported her experience you can now read from Sue Woods and find out about the differences in practice between Johanniter Germany and St John Ambulance.
On the weekend of the 5th to the 7th May, seven volunteers from St John Ambulance and a group og volunteers from Joannici Poland attended Tag der Johanniter and entered the first aid competition as guest teams.
The 2023 London Marathon was the 43rd edition of the annual running event in London. It took place on 23rd April and was the third race of the World Marathon Majors 2023. Our English member was joined by two of their German colleagues. Read the report by Isabella Portenlänger and Gregor Gutbrod.
St John Ambulance in England regularly provides first aid at significant sporting events. On 22nd April, the team of our English member was joined by Martin Stepan from Austria for the football match Wigan Athletic vs Millwall at the DW stadium in Manchester.
From 3rd to 8th February, Arseni Loika from St John Ambulance travelled from England to Vienna to participated in the Volunteer Swap. Here is what he reports
In the last week of December, Johanniter in Allgäu welcomed six volunteers from Austria and one English volunteer who joined in the provision of first aid for the Ski Jump World Cup in Oberstdorf
