International Volunteer Day: BBC Ambulance star reveals how volunteering changed her life

One of the stars of the BBC One Series Ambulance has spoken about how volunteering changed her life and led her to pursue her dream job with London Ambulance Service.

Shyr-Nai Davison-Thomas, now 27, began volunteering as a St John Cadet when she was just 10-years-old.

She admits she joined by chance after a friend was interested but too scared to go alone.

Her friend stopped going a few weeks later but Shyr-Nai thrived, becoming Cadet of the Year and going on to become a unit leader.

Shyr-Nai, now a qualified paramedic, said: “Every weekend our unit would be at Hackney Marshes giving first aid to all the sports teams playing there.

“We also helped out at major events in London like the marathon or parades and that’s when I got to see paramedics working and I realised it was the job I wanted.”

Cadets at St John learn first aid skills including how to give chest compressions to a person in cardiac arrest and how to treat wounds and control bleeding.

These skills had a huge impact on the young Shyr-Nai, whose older brother had been the victim of – and survived – a stabbing.

Shyr-Nai said: “I grew up on a Hackney council estate and I knew volunteering was keeping me off the streets but I also felt like I was giving back to my community because we would go to community centres and teach people how to treat wounds.

“Even then I felt like I was helping to save people. I thought I was saving the world.”

Shyr-Nai volunteered until she was 18 and loved every minute of it. When she was Cadet of the Year, she was an ambassador for St John and got to travel round the country and meet VIPs.

She admits: “It gave me opportunities I would never have had with my background but it also gave me pride and confidence and of course some of the life skills I still use in my job today.

“I was just a child when I was mixing with paramedics and doctors. It also gave me an insight into exactly what paramedics do and I found my passion.”

Shyr-Nai went to St George’s University to study paramedic science and joined London Ambulance Service after graduating.

Shyr-Nai and her crewmate James Watson were two of the stars of BBC One’s hit documentary series Ambulance which aired last month and can be seen on BBC iPlayer.

Viewers loved watching these real life friends as they demonstrated care and compassion while treating their patients.

Shyr-Nai said: “I love being able to make a difference and knowing that I’ve helped someone.

“It’s a good feeling when you use your skills to treat someone and see that person getting better because of your treatment; we’re saving lives.”

There are hundreds of volunteers at London Ambulance Service, many of whom respond to 999 emergencies.

For anyone considering volunteering, Shyr-Nai said: “Just do it – consider volunteering for LAS!  I wouldn’t be in this job if I hadn’t been a volunteer.”

Sam Palfreyman-Jones, Head of Community Resuscitation and Training, said: “On International Volunteer Day, I want to thank all our volunteers at London Ambulance Service as well as all the volunteers who play such an important role across the NHS.

“At London Ambulance Service alone, our volunteers have given us hundreds of thousands of hours of their time to support our Service and care for patients, saving many, many lives.” You can find out more about volunteering at London Ambulance Service here.