Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 10 April 1891
St.John Ambulance Association
Denaby Main Colliery Class.
On Saturday evening the examination of the members of the above class was held in the New Schoolroom, Denaby Main, by Dr. J. W. Martin, of Sheffield.
Out of a class of 30, 23 presented themselves for examination.
It is about three years ago since it was thought by many of the leading officials at the Denaby Main Colliery that if it was possible to form a branch of the St. John Ambulance Association at Denaby Main great benefit and help might be rendered to those who at any time got injured in the mine, to say nothing about every day accidents that occur upon the surface. This movement met with such good support that a branch was immediately formed, under the presidency of Mr. W. H. Chambers, the manager of the Colliery, with Mr Dixon as secretary and Dr. Sykes with his assistants as lecturers.
Classes were held and for three years the branch has mate wonderful progress. An examination of the Ambulance classes, held by Dr. Sykes and his partner, Dr. Twigg, for the third year took place on Saturday evening.
Dr. Martin questioned all the members individually, then they were arranged in groups and examined in bandaging and stretcher work, according as to whether they were first, second or third year’s students.
The examiner at the close addressing the candidates said he was pleased to meet them again, and especially those who had presented themselves for re-examination. It showed that they took an interest in ambulance work and if they wished to retain it they must attend the practices, or else some of them might forget what they had already learned. He said how essential it was when a man got lamed that his colleagues or workmates should know how to treat him till medical aid could obtained.
By being properly treated at the time of an accident hundreds of men were able to return to their employment weeks and months sooner then what they would have done, which was a benefit to his household and also to his clubs. (if in any) he was highly satisfied with the class and said the lecturers, Drs Sykes and Twigg had spared no pains in getting thou to such a state of proficiency.
Mr. Chambers proposed a vote of thanks to Dr. Martin for his kindness in addressing them. He could fully bear out Dr. Martin’s statements as to what a great and noble cause ambulance work was and how essential it was for them as miners to know how to render “first aid “to injured. He could speak from experience how many lives had been lost through people who were there at the time never having attended any of ambulance lectures, not knowing what to do. On the other hand, he could speak of the good done and even lives that had been saved in their own list by the Denaby Main ambulance men, and he was pleased to see it, and he hoped they would continue to make it their constant study, and not because some of them had passed their third examination this year to throw it overboard, for it was something like geography they learnt at school, unless they kept rubbing it up, they forgot all about it. Therefore he hoped they would continue to attend the lectures in future years and so be able to gain practical information whereby they could relieve their sufferings and pains of their fellow-workmen in all times of accident.
He had great pleasure in resolving a vote of thanks to Dr Martin for kindly examining then, in this their noble work.
The Rev. W.H.. Butler said he should like to second that proposition if he might; for although he had not been very long amongst them, he had been long enough to attend the course of ambulance lectures given by Dr. Sykes and had reaped great value from them already.
Dr. Martin proposed a vote of thanks to the lecturers, Drs. Sykes and Twigg which was carried with acclamation.
The successful candidates are:
Third year: Messrs W. H. Chambers, J. Soar, J, Dixon, W. Wright. W. Soar, and J. Wheelecar ;
Second year H. S. Witty, J. Hoyle. G. B. Stones, A. Staton, A. Parkin, J. Luke, A. Moxon, J Hall, R Bowen, J Rodgers, G. Woodley, and M. Soar;
First year: Rev. W. H. Butler. C. Keyworth, J. Hill. W. Hornsby, and F. Croft.