St John Ambulance may be forced to quit Burnham and the Dengie area due to a lack of volunteers.

The division has already had to cut the number of functions it attends and has had to concentrate its duties mainly in the Burnham area.

There are currently only seven members at the Burnham division and with two set to retire at the end of the year, superintendent Derek Osborne said that the future is bleak.

The nearby Maldon division, which has 12 volunteers, is also struggling for members.

Superintendent Sharon Wingrove said that they too are crying out for new volunteers.

Mr Osborne has tried hiring halls to recruit volunteers - but received no response and believes that it is part of a general apathy in people volunteering for charitable organisations.

Mr Osborne said: "Two members are retiring at the end of the year and there is one who doesn't drive so might give up St John's."

He added: "What we would really like is to encourage adult and younger adults volunteers. Some divisions are lucky enough to have 20 members. If we had something like 12 members it would be good. I don't know what the answer is."

All except one of the 12 members of the Maldon division come from outside the town and some of those are working up to 1,000 hours in a year.

Mrs Wingrove said: "It's not good when you lose a division. More and more people are wanting us to cover events."

Burnham St John Ambulance will be recruiting and covering the 999 event at Burnham's Riverside Park on June 15 or Derek Osborne can be contacted on 01621 772250.

The Maldon division meets on Friday evenings at the Methodist Church Hall in Maldon High Street and Sharon Wingrove can be contacted on 01621 742601.

Published Thursday, May 29, 2003

Brought to you by the Essex Chronicle