THE NEWSLETTER OF ST JOHN SCOTLAND InFocus www.stjohnscotland.org.uk Issue 25 — May 2016

Royal date to celebrate NEW PRIOR THE Sovereign Head of the Order of St John, HM The Queen, celebrated her 90th birthday on Thursday April 21. However formal birthday INSTALLED greetings from the Order will wait until next month. Mark Williams, the Or- Knights and der’s Head of Chancery, said: “This was Her Majes- Dames ty’s real birthday, but the Order will mark the Sover- eign Head’s ofcial birth- invested day on Saturday June 11.” On September 9 last year AJOR GENERAL Mark the Queen became the lon- Strudwick was formally gest-reigning British mon- installed on Wednesday arch when she surpassed M March 16 as Prior of St the reign of her great John Scotland by the Grand Prior, grandmother Victoria. HRH The Duke of Gloucester. On that occasion the The new Prior shared his spe- Chancellor sent an address cial day with four men and two to Her Majesty, to which women being recognised by HM she responded. The Queen, the Sovereign Head, What is to be done to for their exceptional service to the mark the ofcial birth- Order of St John in Scotland. day will be decided at the The Rev Canon Dr Joseph Mor- Grand Council meeting in row and Bill Spence of St John Hong Kong at the end of Angus and Dundee were invested May. as Knights, as were David Watson cellor of the Order worldwide, Pat- “The Order in Scotland is thriv- and Bill Sommerville of St John rick Burgess, and carried out by ing, with signifcant success in Glasgow. HRH the Grand Prior. meeting our charitable objectives. Festival at Mrs Fiona Crighton of St John The formal Installation of the “Naturally, the balance between Perth and Kinross, the Receiver new Prior followed, with the our enthusiasm to provide sup- Linlithgow General, and Mrs Katharine Liston Grand Prior reading the Warrant port to those most in need, and THE St John Scotland 2016 of St John Dunbartonshire were of Appointment and inducting our income, is a fne one! Festival will be held in the invested as Dames. Major General Strudwick.The “The work of the volunteers is royal burgh of Linlithgow, Trafc on the Royal Mile was Proclamation was then read by Dr particularly strong, and provides the county town of West halted as onlookers watched the Morrow, in his role as Lord Lyon the essential horsepower to main- Lothian, in June. colourful procession led by the King at Arms. tain a vibrant and well-focused A Civic Reception will pipes and drums of Glenalmond The Dean, the Very Rev Dr John charity. be held in the Burgh Halls College making its way from St Cairns, preached the sermon “The wider support of the mem- in Linlithgow at 7pm on John’s House to Canongate Kirk. based on St Matthew Chapter 25, bership in Scotland is invaluable Thursday June 23. The procession entered the Kirk verses 34-40. and so encouraging; but there is a The Festival Service and to a trumpet voluntary and a wel- The Prior said: “It is a great hon- real need to attract younger mem- Investiture will be at the come from the minister, the Rev our to be installed as Prior of the bers with more relevant roles.” town’s St Michael’s Parish Neil Gardner. Priory of Scotland of the Most A reception followed at the Pal- Church at 11am on Friday The Investitures of the Knights Venerable Order of the Hospital of ace of Holyroodhouse attended June 24, followed by lunch and Dames was led by the Chan- St John of Jerusalem. by the Grand Prior. at the Houston House Ho- tel in Uphall. Parking will be available at the hotel and buses will be run to the church for the service, with return buses going back to the hotel for lunch. There is limited pay and display parking available in Katharine Liston. Fiona Crighton. Joseph Morrow. Bill Sommerville. David Watson. Bill Spence. Linlithgow.

Scottish Charity SC000262. The Priory of Scotland of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem St John’s House, 21 St John Street, Edinburgh EH8 8DG [email protected] n www.stjohnscotland.org.uk New eye hospitals in Hebron and Gaza ST JOHN Scotland continues to be The Group employs 235 staff, in- a major supporter of the St John of cluding 33 doctors and 84 nurses, Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group. and the annual cost of the charita- Most recently the new eye hospi- ble work amounts to £8.3 million. tal in Hebron, bought with the help A four-year residency pro- of £277,000 from St John Scotland, gramme at the Jerusalem hospital this year replaced the original 2005 trains local doctors, investing in the hospital with a much more ad- shattered local infrastructure. Five vanced and accessible building. doctors are currently undertaking It was opened in response to the this programme. high levels of preventable blind- The School of Nursing trains ness in the region and the issues nurses to become ophthalmic spe- with access to health care that Pal- cialists, and last year five nurses estinian communities face. completed the programme. The Eye Hospital Group, which The rate of blindness in the oc- was established for charitable cupied Palestinian territories is ten works in 1882, continues to be the times higher than in the West, and only charitable provider of expert the incidence of diabetes amongst eye care in the West Bank, Gaza and the Palestinian community is very East Jerusalem. high, at 12-15%, three times higher In 2015 they treated 123,000 out- than in the West. patients — including 40,000 chil- Diabetic retinopathy affects up dren — regardless of race, religion to 80% of all people who have had or ability to pay, and performed diabetes for ten years or more, and over 5,000 major operations. 80% of all blindness is preventable. The Group’s services also include The near completion of the Sep- Clinics in Gaza and Anabta, and aration Wall and severe restrictions a Mobile Outreach programme on movement leave many Pales- which serves remote areas of the tinians with very limited access to West Bank. medical care. A new Gaza Hospital is on target The picture shows five year-old to open at the end of May. Rina being treated for cataracts. Stephen is defib champion ONE of Scotland’s best known keen to promote the community and through my Foundation, to secretary of every club visited golfers has agreed to become aspect of defibrillators. raise awareness of this important had a story about an incident on the Champion of the St John Stephen said: “I am delighted initiative.” the course, some with happier Scotland and Scottish joint to become an Ambassador of The Prior, Major General Mark outcomes than others. defibrillator project. the St John Scotland Defibrilla- Strudwick, said: “To have such a “This St John Scotland project Stephen Gallacher, the 42 year- tor Project which has donated well-known, Scottish-based pro- will help save lives.” old nephew of former European defibrillators to golf clubs the fessional player to help promote Former Scottish amateur captain Bernard Gal- length and breadth of Scotland the work we are jointly doing is a strokeplay champion Stephen lacher and cousin of Sky Sports over the past two years. tremendous boost, played in a victorious Walker Cup news presenter Kirsty Gallacher, “It is great to see this life saving “I am extremely grateful to Ste- side in 1995 and turned profes- plays on the European Tour and equipment becoming a commu- phen for taking on this ambassa- sional later that year. was in the team. nity asset, available to all so that dorial role. In 2000 he reached the top Stephen, who was born in De- lives can be saved wherever pos- “The more we can raise aware- hundred on the Order of Merit chmont, West Lothian, is very sible. I am happy both personally ness of the project and the bene- for the first time, placed 56th. fits it will bring, both to golf clubs In 2004 he recorded his first win and the communities in which on the tour at the Dunhill Links they lie, the better for everyone.” Championship, and finished the The partnership with Scottish year ranked 15th. Golf has resulted in a further 24 In February 2013, he ended defibrillators being presented to a 201-tournament wait for his golf clubs around Scotland this second victory on the European year. This brings the total to 46, Tour, when he won the Omega with another year ahead. by three The clubs which have received strokes. The following year, he defiibrillators span the country defended his title with a one from Stranraer through three stroke victory, the first golfer ever Ayrshire courses to Glasgow, to successfully defend the title. to the north to Nairn and three He is pictured with John Fer- clubs in Aberdeenshire, return- guson Smith, chairman of the St ing south via Angus and Fife to John Scotland emergency care Forth Valley and the Lothians. and mountain rescue steering Area Liaison Officer Janet group, and St John West Lothian Knox, who has been heavily in- chairman Keith Stirling, a family John Ferguson Smith, Stephen Gallacher and Keith Stirling. volved in the project, said: “The friend of the Gallachers. Uni climbers welcome Nick’s safety training ST JOHN Scotland mountain safety instructor Nick Carter has completed a very worthwhile first year. Eleven winter weekends were held, and Nick said that overall he was very happy with how they went, and felt that the aims of the initiative were met. For eight of the weekends it was run as expect- ed with him meeting a club at accommodation booked exclusively for them on the Friday night. On both the Friday and Saturday evenings he looked at gear, forecasts and plans for the next day. Nick said: “I would often be approached by other St John Scotland mountaineering adviser Nick Carter (inset) was pleased with first year. students who were not going to be on the hill with me the next day for advice on the weather, condi- tions and their proposed plans for their day out. “It was good to be able to give advice to these students and then chat to them at the end of the day to see what they’d done.” During the winter he provided basic winter skills Base bought for for 58 students, winter mountaineering skills for 24 students, and climbing instruction for four stu- dents. A total of 86 students were given some kind of winter instruction. On the Saturday night he provided his educa- tional and entertainment slideshow for all the club rescue team members on the meet. Over the course of the win- ST JOHN Scotland last the team’s ability to train tinues to be a tremendous ter the slideshow was shown to 181 students. month funded the pur- for and respond to rescue supporter of mountain res- Publicity has included newspapers and websites, chase of a new base for operations in the Borders cue teams across Scotland radio interviews, and on social media. Nick has 165 the Tweed Valley Mountain area and more widely as and this most recent exam- likes on Facebook and 66 followers on Twitter. Rescue Team in Melrose. required.” ple is fantastic news.” Overall, there were very few problems, but one The old Fire Station Alasdair Hutton said that Pete Matthews added: of the principal lessons learnt was to do with the — opposite the famous it was a major step forward “The building will be a fan- need for inexperienced students to be properly Greenyards rugby ground for the Central Borders, for tastic asset for the team equipped to cope with a winter’s day out in the — will be transformed by the Tweed Valley Mountain and greatly enhance the Scottish hills. the team to replace their Rescue Team, for Melrose capacity of our volunteers On occasions, Nick found himself lending cram- current base in Selkirk and for St John Scotland. to assist those in need.” pons, ice axes and gloves to students, and this has which was too small for op- “It will bring back into The team covers the allowed him to give valuable feedback to the uni- erational needs. use a valuable building highest hills of the South- versity clubs being trained, and which they have The keys of the building close to the town and give ern Uplands, much of the welcomed. were presented to team the team quick access to Pentland Hills, the Moor- For the future, he thinks that in the autumn aca- leader Pete Matthews by St the road network through foot, Tweedsmuir and Ei- demic term he could teach general hill skills includ- John South East Scotland the Borders and up the ldon Hills, the wild and ing navigation or scrambling and rock climbing to chairman Alasdair Hutton. Tweed Valley,” he said. remote Ettrick and Yarrow the more advanced members. The new base will in- Damon Powell, chair of valleys, and the popular The online survey responses suggest that the clude a multi-vehicle ga- Scottish Mountain Rescue, mountain biking areas at students want 'more of the same'. rage, administration facili- said: “St John Scotland con- Glentress and Innerleithen. One student wrote: “I cannot commend this pro- ties, a training room, gram highly enough. To invest in prevention is a and a welfare area. fantastic idea. The Prior, Major “The more people that benefit from this experi- General Mark Strud- ence the better . . . thank you!" wick, said: “I am de- All the 181 students from ten different university lighted that we have mountaineering clubs also now have a far clearer been able to fund idea of who St John Scotland are and what we do. the purchase and renovation of the TORPHICHEN TOUR former Fire Station. The date of the Torphichen Preceptory Tour “This will be the led by the St John Scotland Hospitaller, Ian fourteenth base that W.J.Wallace, has been changed to Wednesday St John Scotland has August 10 at 7pm, with a light supper after- provided for moun- wards in the Torphichen Inn. The annual St tain rescue since John service at the Preceptory will be held on 1998, and it will sig- Sunday August 28 at 3pm. nificantly enhance Pete Matthews receives the keys from Alasdair Hutton. Patient Transport Service is growing THE St John Scotland patient transport service is growing, and has potential for further growth. The service provides patient transport in Dumfries and Gallo- This picture, taken at Arnold Clark in Dundee, includes Sandy Bowman at the front in the high vis jacket. way taking oncology patients for treatment at hospitals in Central Scotland. A new Ford Galaxy was com- missioned in 2016 for Dumfries with two people carriers serving the West Galloway patients. The service is operated by volunteers. Angus & Dundee volunteers provide transport for both oncol- ogy and renal patients. A recruitment campaign re- inforced the volunteer group of drivers who operate six days in the week, 52 weeks of the year, assisting patients to get to and from their treatment. A new Ford Galaxy was obtained under the national arrangements in 2016. In 2015 a new vehicle was purchased to provide services to Perth & Kinross patients trav- elling to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee for oncology or renal treatment. This service has a small group of volunteers and is managed by Sandy Bowman who co-ordi- nates the service in both areas. The National Patient Transport Steering Group is looking at this service operated in local areas Perth Festival of with a view to a national strate- gy, and extended investigation of this has taken place with the agencies involved. The NHS board for Fife is keen Youth triumph to introduce a service with St John Scotland in Fife and are in ST JOHN Perth & Kinross staged a very special Festi- Chancellor Douglas Dow, representing the Prior, discussion about implementa- val of Youth on Friday February 26. told the audience of the work of St John Scotland. tion. It brought together some 200 talented musicians Brigadier Mel Jameson, Lord Lieutenant and Hon NHS Forth Valley has opened and dancers for the first event of its type staged in President of St John Perth & Kinross, said: “We all discussions about patient trans- Perth Concert Hall. have a part to play in encouraging our young tal- port for renal patients, and the The event, supported by the Gannochy Trust, ent and what better way to do so than supporting project will progress at a pace raised £20,000 for Scotland’s Charity Air Ambu- them on a major stage such as Perth Concert Hall? acceptable to the parties and de- lance, with match funding from St John Scotland “The Festival of Youth was also held in celebration pendant on resources, not least making the total donation £40,000. of the 90th birthday of HM The Queen, Sovereign of which is the recruitment of St John Perth & Kinross had staged several small- Head of the Order of St John.” volunteers. er sellout events in the past at the North Inch Cam- St John Perth & Kinross chairman John Ferguson The potential to operate in pus and St Ninian’s Cathedral, but was keen to fea- Smith said: “Our Festival of Youth Concert was a other parts of Scotland depends ture a wider spread of talent and take it to a larger great success. It really was quite a spectacle!” on local areas being prepared to audience — in addition to raising their own profile. undertake involvement, recruit- Hosted by journalist and broadcaster Maureen CHANGE OF VENUE ment and management of re- Young and the ‘Voice of the Tattoo’, St John South The highly successful Art Sale held annually sources, and the local NHS Trust East chairman Alasdair Hutton, participants in- for many years by St John Glasgow will have meeting the running costs of the cluded Perth & Kinross Junior Brass Band, the Julie a new venue this year. Previously held at Pol- journey. Young Dance Studios and Centre for Performing lokshields Burgh Hall, it is moving to the Army The picture shows St John vol- Arts, Perth & Kinross Wind Orchestra, and musical Reserve Centre, 369 Crow Road, Glasgow, unteer drivers collecting new ve- groups and soloists from Strathallan, Kilgraston and from Friday-Sunday September 9-11. hicles at Arnold Clark in Dundee. Craigclowan Schools and Glenalmond College.

Editor: Donald Fullarton www.stjohnscotland.org.uk Printed by H.B.Rutherford and Co.