Bingo girl Jodie swaps house for hospital as a St Johns volunteer at King's Mill

Jodie Manning, 21, a customer service executive at Buzz Bingo, became interested in first-aid in her early teenage years.

Aged 13, she attended a youth first aid course whilst training as an air cadet.

Her caring attitude was sparked in her family home as a child where she took the role of her grandfather’s carer and wanted to expand her repertoire by signing up to become a St John’s volunteer.She recognised the importance of first aid skills a few years ago when she was at the Motorpoint Arena and saw an old man collapse.

Realising he was in cardiac arrest, Jodie practiced CPR until emergency services arrived.

Her strength and passion have been tested during the Covid-19 pandemic and Jodie understood that she needed to put her skills to good use but didn’t realise how strenuous the training process would be.

She said: “It’s definitely daunting knowing how deadly this virus is, but knowing that I am easing the struggle for doctors and nurses 100 per cent outweighs the fear.”Jodie now helps with assisting in personal care, spending time with patients, and helping out around the hospitals to allow doctors and nurses to focus on treating patients with more serious illnesses.

She added: “Although this job is difficult, what I look forward to most is the relief in the faces of those suffering when I go over and say, ‘I’m a first aider, I’m here to help.”