Portland first-aider is honoured for 26 years of volunteering

A dedicated lifesaver and fundraiser from Portland has got a very special award, approved by The Queen.

St John Ambulance volunteer Mrs Terry Shakespeare from Portland has been honoured for her devoted work for first aid charity St John Ambulance. Her commitment has been marked with an investiture into the Order of St John at a prestigious ceremony last month in the Order's historic 12th century Priory Church in London's Clerkenwell.

Becoming a member of the Order of St John is only possible if someone has shown exceptional service to its key foundations – one of which is St John Ambulance, the nation's leading first aid charity. The Order of St John is a Royal Order of Chivalry and each recipient is approved by Her Majesty the Queen, its Sovereign Head. 

The work of volunteers such as Terry, 63, is essential to the charity and can be the difference between a life lost and a life saved. Research has shown that up to 150,000 people a year could be given a chance to live if more people knew even basic first aid. 

Terry has been a volunteer with the charity for 26 years and is currently Superintendent of the Portland Division having started and run the Portland Badger Sett (for under 10 year olds) for 24 years. She is also a determined and enthusiastic fundraiser for Portland. Monies raised have contributed towards the upkeep of the new Portland Training Headquarters in Easton and purchasing first aid equipment for local duties. She was presented with the Order's insignia by Rodney Green, the Prior (Chairman) of the Priory of England and the Islands (part of the Order of St John). 

Terry said: 'I am extremely proud to be a St John Ambulance volunteer and to be able to use my first aid knowledge to be the difference between a life lost and a life saved. It is an honour to have been invited to become a member of the Order of St John and I feel very privileged.' 

The Prior, Rodney Green, said: 'Mrs Shakespeare has been invited to join the Order of St John in recognition of her dedication to helping St John Ambulance's life saving work. Terry is a wonderful example of how volunteers can make a positive difference in their communities.' 

The investiture ceremony takes place three times a year. Around a hundred people from communities across the country are invested on each occasion, the majority of whom are St John Ambulance volunteers. 

The Order of St John is one of the world's oldest charities and traces its origins back 900 years to the Knights Hospitaller and the first Hospital of St John in Jerusalem in 1078. Its international history is showcased in the revamped Museum of the Order of St John in Clerkenwell, London.

St John Ambulance is the nation's leading first aid charity. It believes that anyone who needs first aid should get it. But the fact is that's not happening. St John Ambulance is determined to be the difference between lives lost and lives saved.

The Order of St John was founded in the 11th Century. It is a major international charity, an Order of Chivalry and a Christian Order. The British Order of St John comprises two foundations: St John Ambulance and the St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital.