St Andrew's First Aid

St Andrew's First Aid: first aid training and event cover in Scotland

St Andrew's First Aid is a Scottish charity dedicated to teaching first aid and providing event first aid cover services. The organisation presents itself as Scotland's leading first aid charity and states that it is one of only three voluntary aid organisations in the UK, as well as a co-author of the official British first aid manual. Its activity dates back to 1882, the year from which it has been delivering training in Scotland.

First aid training for businesses and individuals

The training offer covers first aid, health and safety, fire safety and mental health. Courses are delivered at its centres or at the client's premises, anywhere in Scotland. The organisation trains around 20,000 people each year and has eleven training centres across the country.

Among the programmes aimed at the workplace are the three-day First Aid at Work course (available as a block or spread over several days), its two-day requalification in the same formats, the blended online requalification, the Emergency First Aid at Work course, the Fire Marshal course, the annual update, the Emergency Resuscitation (CPR) course, the Using an AED including CPR course, the Moving & Handling Principles course and the Safe Evacuation course.

In the healthcare and specific groups area, courses are offered in paediatric first aid (also in blended online format), baby and child first aid, sports injuries first aid level 1 and 2, emergency first aid, anaphylaxis awareness and programmes for schools. The organisation also delivers psychological first aid training, with courses in Leading First Aid for Mental Health, First Aid for Mental Health and a specific annual refresher.

Event first aid cover

St Andrew's First Aid provides first aid cover for festivals, firework displays, trade shows and sporting events across Scotland. The service includes trained and insured staff, defibrillators and equipment. The fee is charged per hour and per first aider, and the income goes entirely to the charity's work. The organisation has volunteers who provide assistance at local events, concerts and major sporting occasions, and who dedicate more than 50,000 hours annually to these tasks.

Supplies and equipment

The organisation sells defibrillators, accessories and training units, first aid kits, consumables and equipment such as evacuation chairs, manuals and workbooks, personal protective equipment, manikins and training equipment, as well as health and safety products. It has specific guides for purchasing supplies, selecting first aid kits and acquiring AEDs, as well as materials aimed at schools.

Volunteering and participation

The organisation offers ways to get involved including volunteering, donations, fundraising and leaving a life-saving legacy. Volunteers receive free training and ongoing support, with no previous experience needed. For younger people there are the Thistles groups, aimed at children aged 5 to 10, and the Cadets, for ages 11 to 15. The organisation also runs the Yaldi Lottery and maintains free first aid learning resources, as well as training videos on choking and CPR.

Structure and governance

St Andrew's First Aid operates under the trading name of St Andrew's Ambulance Association, with charity registration number SC006750. The organisation has a board of trustees and a leadership team, and hosts the Scottish First Aid Awards. Its head office is in Glasgow.

Location and contact

Head Office, 1st Floor, The Culzean, 36 Renfield St, Glasgow, G2 1LU · Phone: 0141 332 4031