Young people have been a vital part of St John Ambulance since its very beginning, and in 1922 the organisation officially established the Cadets as a nationwide programme for under-18s. To celebrate the centenary of St John Ambulance Cadets in 2022, young people from across the charity interviewed their predecessors from the 1940s to the present day.

You can listen to excerpts from these interviews in our online exhibition.

The full-length oral history interviews, transcripts, and the photographs and records donated by some of the interviewees are now part of the Museum’s Archive collection, and a guide to the Cadet Voices archive collection is available to view here. These materials are available to listen to or view in-person at the Museum. Please visit our Enquiries page for information on how to book a research appointment.

It has been a privilege to listen to 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 project was kindly funded by St John Ambulance, the St John Fellowship and a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.