An adult volunteer with the Air Cadets based in Lytham St Annes has been honoured by Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant at the annual presentation of the Lord-Lieutenant’s Awards for Lancashire.
Flight Lieutenant John Sutcliffe received the Lord-Lieutenant’s Commendation in recognition of his selfless actions when assisting a seriously injured lady following a road traffic collision. The Commendation was presented by Colonel The Lord Shuttleworth KCVO, Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Lancashire, during the awards ceremony held at Stonyhurst College.
John, who joined 2486 (Lytham St Annes) Squadron ATC as an adult instructor in 2012, put his own safety to one side to assist a woman in the aftermath of a serious accident. Using his own uniform to stem her bleeding he gave the casualty a fighting chance of survival. The ambulance crew who attended commented that the pressure being applied to the wound was as good as they could have achieved, and continued to use his jacket to control the bleeding.
Reflecting on his commendation, John said: “I am grateful and honoured to receive such an award as special as this. I would urge any person of any age to look into taking First Aid training – even basic First Aid makes a huge difference to someone’s life or wellbeing. Without the training I had been provided by the Air Cadet Organisation and my employer Parsons Brinckerhoff I could of not made the effort I did with this unfortunate incident.”
Colonel Mark Underhill, Chief Executive of the North West of England and the Isle of Man Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association (NW RFCA) which runs the awards, said: “The Lord-Lieutenant’s Awards give us an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the dedication and professionalism of the adults and young people who contribute so much to our Reserve Forces and Cadet Forces. Flt Lt Sutcliffe’s actions were in the best tradition of the Royal Air Force and the Armed Services, in putting the needs of others ahead of your own.”
Col Underhill also appealed for more adult volunteers to support the region’s cadets: “The cadet movement offers unparalleled opportunities for young people in our region to learn, grow and excel. We must ensure that these opportunities continue to be accessible to young people from all backgrounds, and this is only possible with the support of the dedicated adult volunteers who deliver the quality experiences, adventure and community projects our cadets enjoy. We would love to hear from people willing to offer their time and enthusiasm to join the ranks of the region’s Adult Instructor’s – no military experience is needed and full training is provided.”
