Jacqueline Browne, Executive Director of St John Ambulance for almost a decade, was honoured yesterday for her contributions to the community.In a ceremony held at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, Ms Browne was given the Bermuda CableVision Community Service Award, while a $1,000 donation was made to the charity.The audience of friends and family heard that she had initially joined the charity as a youth, driven by her ambitions to become a nurse.As the only full-time member of the team, Ms Browne is responsible for managing everything from training to fundraising.Speaking out yesterday, Ms Browne said: “I worry sometimes that St John Ambulance has been part of the community so long that it may be taken for granted, so it is helpful to have this opportunity to raise awareness of our needs.“The biggest challenge that we face is sustaining our volunteer resource as it is cyclical and very few people volunteer beyond a few years.“I wholeheartedly recommend St John Ambulance to anyone interested in volunteering, as I know from my cadet experience as a teenager that it builds important interpersonal skills such as self confidence and independence, as well as more specific technical skills.”She noted that the charity is currently trying to raise $9,000 to get one of their five ambulances repaired and back on the road, and is looking for a Defensive Driving Instructor to help train ambulance licensees.Terry Roberson, General Manager of Bermuda CableVision, praised Ms Browne’s hard work, saying: “Under Ms Browne’s leadership, the organisation has continued to evolve into a well-oiled machine.“As the only full-time member of the St John Ambulance team, Ms Browne is responsible for every corner of operations, including volunteer recruitment and retention, training, finance and fundraising.“She has also adopted an element of youth mentoring in her role in that she talks to young volunteers and conscripts about their skills development and coaches them into actively addressing their long-term career goals.“The charity sector simply couldn’t survive without leaders like Ms Browne, who with long term vision and tenacity ensure that organisations like St John Ambulance continue to deliver high-quality level of service to the people year after year.”Ms Browne was also praised by both Acting Health Minister Glenn Blakeney and Minister of Environment, Planning and Infrastructure Strategy Marc Bean, who took part in the ceremony.Mr Blakeney noted the important role that St John Ambulance plays in the community, attending hundreds of events including parades and sporting events.“I was awestruck to discover that they attend over 253 events each year,” Mr Blakeney said.“Altogether, Ms Browne is a truly deserving recipient of this award, and my greatest wish is for more individuals like her to get the recognition they genuinely deserve.”Mr Bean agreed, calling for others in the community to step forward and offer their time and talent to the charity.“As my colleague already said, Bermuda is certainly a better place for your efforts, Ms Browne,” Mr Bean said. “I’m sure the St John Ambulance Service would not be the place it is today without you.“Giving back to the community is such a rewarding experience and I would urge anyone in Bermuda who is considering it to just go for it. Make the decision to become a volunteer and I assure you the rewards will be plentiful.”For more information about St John Ambulance and how you can help, e-mail info@sjabermuda.org.