The St John Ambulance Association was set up in 1877 by the Order of Saint John to teach industrial workers first aid, so that they could provide on-the-spot treatment in emergencies.
The St John Ambulance Brigade was formed in 1887, as a voluntary organisation offering free medical care. Queen Victoria's Jubilee saw the Brigade in action in public for the first time.
In 1968 these two organisations, The Brigade and the Association, merged to form St John Ambulance, a single organisation providing both training and first aid cover.
