Published: 30 October 2023
A group of St George’s Paramedic Science students and Blue Light Champions met with Prince William at the Blue Light Hub in Milton Keynes to discuss the importance of supporting the mental health of emergency responders.
Katy Hughes and Josh Newton, spoke to Prince William about their experiences of being a Blue Light Champion, and represented student paramedics with a specific focus on the unique struggles they face being on the front line.
They were joined by a group of other recent recruits to emergency and search and rescue services. The conversation focused on the vital importance of equipping those working in the emergency services with the skills to help protect their mental health and build resilience.
Vital support for paramedic students
Katie Pavoni, Course Director and Pastoral Lead for the BSc Paramedic Science at St George’s, launched the first UK Student Paramedic Blue Light Champions peer support scheme in 2017. The scheme has achieved national recognition with affiliation to the mental health charity, Mind. Under Katie’s leadership and vision, it is run by final year Paramedic Science students at St George’s.
“Meeting Prince William was a pivotal moment for us – I’m so proud that our hard work in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of emergency responders has caught his attention given his advocacy work in this area."
- Katie Pavoni, BSc Paramedic Science Course Director and Pastoral Lead -
Katie added: "Ensuring that our paramedic students feel supported and able to talk about their wellbeing is at the heart of our paramedic team approach. We believe in this culture of support and compassion because our students can be exposed to highly vulnerable, emotive and difficult situations from their very first shift. This is compounded by the human struggles we all face, and the challenges of being a student.
“Speaking about our mental health can be lifesaving - the ambulance service has the highest rate of suicide amongst all emergency responders and so highlighting the importance of support and challenging stigma is crucial. Through the Blue Light Champions initiative, it’s my mission to prioritise their welfare by creating space for students to talk to their peers about their experiences and to promote the message that they matter. In order to take care of others, we must take care of ourselves too.”
Supporting the mental health of the emergency services community is a cause close to The Prince of Wales’ heart, as he saw first-hand the challenges emergency responders face on a daily basis whilst serving as a pilot with RAF search and rescue and East Anglian Air Ambulance.
The visit follows Their Royal Highnesses longstanding commitment to encourage people to speak openly about their mental health.
Learn more about the Blue Light Champions