Following the news that the St John Ambulance building in St Mary’s Street is to be sold off, a spokesman for St John Cymru said that they remain “fully committed to the future of the Monmouth Division”.

St John Hall, which has housed the St John Ambulance for 98 years, is on the market and now leaves the first aiders without a permanent identifiable home.

In their ‘St John Ambulance Cymru - Strategy 2025’ document, the charity identified a “gaping hole in the charity sector’s finances” following on from the pandemic and the lockdown meant the “immediate closure of two of our key income generating areas of work”.

As part of their review, the charity has committed to “reducing our impact on the environment and improving our sustainability. This has become increasingly important during the current cost of living crisis.

“We recently conducted a review of our buildings as part of our wider efforts to ensure an efficient and effective model for our charity, so we can continue to be there for the communities we serve, when they need us most. During the building review, our Monmouth Divisional building was identified as one of the buildings where we should explore the option of sale through the open market, as part of our focus on sustainability. As a result of this recommendation, our Monmouth Divisional building was recently listed for sale.

“We are currently exploring a number of options around an alternative venue for our Monmouth Division, both in the short and longer term, whilst maintaining an openness for proposals to be brought forward by potential purchasers of the site, for continued use of the building by the Divisions. We understand that periods of uncertainty and change can be unsettling for all those involved but want to re-enforce our commitment to protecting and maintaining our St John Ambulance Cymru Monmouth Division and the invaluable service they deliver to the local community.”

Reports reach the Beacon this week that the Chief Executive at St John Ambulance Cymru, Helen Smith, has resigned with immediate effect.

Sir Paul Williams, OBE, KStJ, DL, Prior for Wales with St John Cymru said: “Our CEO Helen Smith has taken the decision to leave St John Ambulance Cymru with immediate effect after nearly nine years with the charity.

“Helen joined St John Ambulance Cymru as Director of Finance in 2014, at a time of significant transition. In 2019, Helen was appointed as our CEO and led the charity through the Covid-19 pandemic with commitment to our vision and mission.

“We are grateful to her for her contribution, and we wish her well for the future,” he added.