A new cadet group is opening in Oakham, offering virtual meetings for 11 to 17 year olds looking to learn valuable first aid skills.

The Oakham St Johns Ambulance Cadets previously met in person up until 2024 when the group leader could no longer attend and they had insufficient volunteers to continue operating so the group was forced to close.

Now, the group is hoping to re-open in September if they get enough interest from local people looking to join.

St John Cadets learn life-saving first aid skills on a weekly basis, volunteer as first aiders in their communities, build their confidence and leadership skills through additional weekend courses and work towards various awards and qualifications.

Previous St John Ambulance Cadets (Photo: Supplied)

The group will meet virtually on Microsoft Teams and then very six weeks meet in person in Leicester for hands-on, in-person sessions that will help the cadets transform the theory they have learnt into practical first aid skills.

In the weekly meetings, cadets will cover topics like chest pains, burns, asthma, choking, anaphylaxis, CPR and using a defibrillator. There will also be lots of opportunities for cadets to expand their knowledge with additional courses to build on these skills.

The new group will meet on Microsoft Teams on Thursdays from 6.30pm to 8pm during term time with additional Sunday meetings in person every six weeks.

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To find out more about the cadet group and sign up for meetings, visit https://www.sja.org.uk/get-involved/young-people/cadets/ and click 'Find my nearest group' to look for Oakham.