St John Ambulance is offering young people in Watton and surrounding villages a chance to learn life-saving first aid.

The national health response and first aid charity has unveiled a cadet unit in Watton which encourages children aged between 10 to 17 to engage in weekly meetings to learn life-saving skills.

These cadets will eventually be able to help out at events and within the local community.

Martin Roberts, manager of the charity’s Watton Unit, said: “This is a great opportunity for young people living in and around Watton to join St John as a volunteer and learn first aid and many other essential and transferable skills.

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"Many of our cadets continue their volunteering journey with us when they reach 18 and the training they receive from St John is also excellent for those considering a career in healthcare or medicine.

“We have a well-established Cadet Unit in Swaffham and I would like to develop the Watton Cadet Unit so that it is of a similar size.

"At the moment we have space for another eight cadets to join us and, if we also recruit additional youth helpers and youth leaders, we can develop the team of young volunteers here in Watton even further.

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"The existing volunteers and I look forward to welcoming local families to our open evening next week.”

St John Ambulance will be hosting an open evening at Barn Ruche Complex, Thetford Road, Watton, IP25 6HN on Wednesday, February 28 from 6.30pm to 8pm.

The evening will consist of games, bandaging practice, and discussions about the charity’s work.

To learn more about the cadets, please visit sja.org.uk/get-involved