Redbank Plains resident Kate Bambrick, 16, has recently been announced as the St John Ambulance (Qld) Cadet of the Year.
The Cadet of the Year title is awarded to a young member of St John Ambulance (Qld) who displays a positive attitude and has excelled themselves in their local division.
The highly esteemed role will see Kate become an ambassador for the organisation by teaching the importance of knowing first aid and how it can really save someone’s life.
Kate joined St John (Qld) as a Cadet in 2008 and has already clocked up more than 380 voluntary hours learning about first aid, completing her badges and attending events at Ipswich. She also played an important role in the 2011 and 2013 floods at the Ipswich Evacuation Centre, demonstrating a high level of respect and compassion for her local community.
“Giving back to the community and having a positive influence on people’s lives is the best part of volunteering for me - being named Cadet of the Year is a huge bonus which I am so proud of,” she said.
Since joining, Kate has earned badges in Camp Craft, Communications, Eye Health, Family Care, Fire Safety, Handicrafts, Hygienic Food Handling, Knowledge of the Order (of St John), Map Reading, Music, Road Safety and Sports.
“Being promoted to Cadet of the Year has given me the ability to lead and mentor my Divisional Cadets, which I find extremely rewarding.”
The Ipswich Combined Division boasts more than 33 Cadets, making it one of the largest Cadet groups in Queensland.
Ipswich Combined Divisional Manager Robyn Rossi said Kate will be an excellent ambassador for Cadets in Queensland. Kate’s leadership skills and talents run in the family, with her parents and six siblings also in the Division.
“Kate’s commitment and enthusiasm to the Division is a fundamental example of why we have a Cadet program, which is to assist children to grow and develop into well-rounded, good community citizens and increase awareness of the importance of first aid,” she said.
“Without our young members, St John would not be able to contribute as much as we do to the Queensland community, and as such it is incredibly important we recognise the contributions of young volunteers such as Kate.”
The Ipswich Combined Division meets every Monday at 6.30pm. All meetings are held in Room 4, Humanities Building, South Street, Ipswich.
For more information or to join, email ipswich@stjohnqld.com.au or call 0413 448 017.