VOLUNTEERS from St John Cymru-Wales will be on duty in town centres across Monmouthshire over the Christmas and New Year period to help ease the pressure on emergency services.

They will be staffing ‘Help Points’ or ‘Alcohol Treatment Centres’, working in partnership with the police and the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

Chief Executive for St John Cymru-Wales, Keith Dunn OBE, said, ‘We are proud to be supporting the emergency services at this very busy time of year. We are anticipating an increase in demand due to the amount of people out celebrating, starting this week on so-called ‘Black Friday’.

‘The ‘Help Points’ successfully divert patients away from A&E, allowing those who need urgent medical attention in hospital to be treated quickly. Providing this service would not be possible without the dedication of our highly-trained volunteers, who will be giving up their time to make sure people stay safe.’

Urging revellers to take care in the lead up to Christmas Richard Lee, the Welsh Ambulance Service’s Director of Operations, said, “As we approach the festive season we are asking people to use us wisely.

“We are not killjoys, but every year we see a number of 999 calls to attend alcohol related incidents at Christmas celebrations.

“We are providing additional resources in some areas, but we would ask you to help us by taking care of your friends and colleagues by making sure everybody gets home safely from your office party or night out.

“Make sure you know how you and your party are getting home and wear appropriate clothing for the cold and wet weather. We wish you all a very happy Christmas.”