HRH The Duke of Gloucester has officially opened the new St John Ambulance Bridgwater training centre.
HRH The Duke of Gloucester has officially opened the new St John Ambulance Bridgwater training centre.The Duke, who is Grand Prior of the nation's leading first aid charity, met staff and volunteers and was shown around the �1.5 million purpose-built centre on Monday 20 September.He met many volunteers including some of the charity's younger Badgers and Cadets before presiding over the Ceremony of Dedication for the new County Headquarters.The new state-of-the-art building, just off junction 23 of the M5, will enable the charity to train more people in the skills needed to save a life in an emergency. The centre will also house the Somerset County and Sedgmoor headquarters for St John Ambulance volunteer divisions.Ross Young, County Executive Officer for Somerset St John Ambulance, said: 'It was a wonderful opportunity to show The Duke our new centre and explain how it will help to train even more people in the first aid skills that can be the difference between a life lost and a life saved.'The building was designed by Barnaby Associates and built by Harris & Harris of Bridgwater and was completed in June 2010. It was funded by the sale of the old Bridgwater Divisional HQ in Albert Street and County HQ in Staplegrove Road, Taunton
