Cadet Oral History Project 2022

Capturing the experiences of former Cadets as we celebrate the Charity’s Year of Youth.

To celebrate the centenary of the St John Ambulance Cadets, the Museum are working with twenty-four Cadets from across the country to capture the experiences of their predecessors from the 1940s right up to the present day.

To date, over forty interviews have been recorded. We’ve heard about the important tasks carried out by post-war Cadets in the country’s war recovery, games and activities at 1950s Cadet camps, meeting HRH Princess Margaret, the 1887 Party in the Park, numerous duties and the usefulness of learning to change a fuse in a plug.

It’s been a privilege to listen to the former Cadets as they have generously shared their memories and explained the often-significant impact being a Cadet has had and continues to have on their lives.

The next stage of the project is to share the oral histories publicly in an online exhibition and accession them into the Museum’s archive ensuring their future preservation and accessibility.

The project is kindly funded by St John Ambulance, the St John Fellowship and a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

How to get involved:

Whilst we are unable to record any further oral histories as part of this project, we would still love to hear from you. If you have memories that you would like to share with us about your time as a Cadet – from everyday unit meetings to extraordinary events, please complete the short form below and submit your written reminiscences to the archive.

There are 3 ways you can do this:

• Download the form here and return by email to museum@sja.org.uk
• Request a hard copy to be posted to you to complete by hand.
• Arrange a phone call with a member of the Museum team.

To request hard copies or arrange a phone call, please contact the Museum on 020 7324 4005. The phones are monitored Thursday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm. Outside these times please leave a message with your name and number and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions:

I don’t live in England, can I still participate? Because the interviews will be carried out in person, we are only able record participants based in England. However, every former Cadet, wherever they are based in the world, can submit written reminiscences to the archive.

Is the Museum collecting objects and photographs relating to the Cadets? Yes! The centenary year is a fantastic opportunity to enrich our collection. If you have photographs, ephemera or objects you would like to donate please email museum@sja.org.uk. We are only able to accept items that relate directly to the experiences of Cadets and Badgers and that we do not already have. A member of the team will be very happy to discuss.

Who can I contact if I have a question? Please call 020 7324 4005 or email museum@sja.org.uk and a member of the heritage team will get back to you as soon as possible.

I would like to see the online exhibition. How can I get updates on the project? The best way to receive project updates, as well as other heritage news, is to sign up to the Museum’s e-newsletter on our homepage.