Brighton’s electric car is here! St John Ambulance takes delivery of new vehicle

The generosity of major donors makes a huge difference to St John Ambulance, with local communities, patients, volunteers and the environment benefiting from the investment they make in its lifesaving work.

In August 2022, the Medlock Charitable Trust pledged to match the fundraising efforts of St John and communities across England, of up to £1 million, enabling our charity to purchase greener, cleaner, more efficient emergency vehicles, over three years.

The matched funding incentive helped to endorse local and national fundraising across the country, and, in total, St John raised nearly £130,000 towards the electric cars.

Brighton is one of the lucky locations to receive an electric vehicle, thanks to both Medlock, who provided 80% of the funding, and a subsequent contribution from another local trust. The vehicle has already taken to the streets, supporting teams in facilitating high profile events such as Brighton Pride 2023.

Darren Owen, District Manager for Sussex said: “The electric car fits in line with the ethos of Brighton and Hove city as an entity. Since its arrival in Sussex, the car has been used to get volunteers to and from many events, as well as being used for the whole weekend of Brighton pride.

“It was great to have received the car before Brighton pride as the event itself is a very ethical and promotes sustainability. I personally was very proud to be using the car and to help support and promote our 32-year journey with Brighton Pride.”

St John’s investment in electric vehicles is part of our ongoing Environment and Sustainability Programme. As a charity, we are committed to protecting human health and the environment within our operations, buildings, management of our people, and relationships with external organisations and associates.

Initial plans in St John Ambulance’s 10-year fleet strategy include the purchase of 12 electric cars and 15 community support units, plus the replacement of ageing ambulances with state-of-the-art new vehicles.

As a charity conscious of our impact on the environment, St John is looking at alternatives to petrol and diesel, and how our carbon footprint can be reduced. With the disposal of old diesel vehicles and replacing them with new greener alternatives, St John is on the road to achieving its sustainability goals.

Modern vehicles are also safer and more comfortable, so they’re better for our patients and people. The Medlock Charitable Trust – a family-run grant-making organisation from Bristol – also supported St John Ambulance’s Christmas appeal in 2022 by matching donations up to £55,000, helping us to achieve a grand total of almost £130,516 which could enable us to train more than 1,000 volunteers in lifesaving skills and purchase vital equipment and supplies for them to use.

We are immensely grateful to David Medlock and his team for their extraordinary contribution to our work.

David Medlock, Chairman of The Medlock Charitable Trust, said: “I have been involved in the voluntary sector since I was 16 years old, and so it is a huge privilege for myself and my family to be able to support St John, a charity where volunteers are so central to their work.

“One of the main attractions for us with this particular project was that, by encouraging matched fundraising, the impact could result in something that is much bigger than the actual investment we are putting in.

“I am delighted that our support has already inspired local communities to participate in local fundraising efforts for these new electric cars, and that together we can help St John grow and reach even more communities.”

Martin Houghton-Brown, Chief Executive at St John Ambulance, said: “I am so grateful for the enormously generous £1 million pledge from The Medlock Charitable Trust, helping us to transform our Community services. Our fleet is an important part of our toolkit for delivering First Aid where it is needed most. We are committed to our vehicles being greener, and this smart investment from David and the folk at the Medlock Trust has boosted this brilliantly. I know that all St John people would like to say thank you for this support, but especially our thousands of young people for whom the environment is one of their highest priorities.”

For more information about St John Ambulance and the work it does, visit sja.org.uk.