Record numbers of Britons volunteer to join Order of Malta teams helping Jubilee pilgrims

Volunteers joined international Order of Malta teams in St Peter’s and other basilicas in Rome

Britons are queueing up to volunteer for Order of Malta teams helping Jubilee pilgrims in Rome.

“British volunteer places were immediately filled – there’s a waiting list now,” said Philippa Leslie, director of communications for the Order of Malta in Britain.

In January, the Order of Malta in Great Britain dispatched four teams of volunteers to aid pilgrims visiting St Peter’s and four other Roman basilicas.

International Order of Malta teams including doctors, nurses and at least two volunteers qualified to give First Aid serve each basilica from 7.30am to 7.30pm. Thirty-two teams are helping over the course of 55 weeks.

Three more teams of British volunteers (who do not need to be members of the Order of Malta) will go to Rome in July, another three next October.

Each volunteer is vetted by the Order in Britain and Rome, “and needs to have experience of crowd situations,” said Leslie.

Last week 5,000 people attended a Mass at St Paul’s outside the Walls. Major James Casha, British First Aid lead on the Order of Malta team said: “A couple of people fell over and had to be taken to hospital.”

Leslie said volunteering for the Jubilee was “uplifting and inspiring”. She added: “the Order of Malta has a hospitaller tradition. This is part of that.” The first teams reported the kindness they had experienced from the Carabinieri providing security for the Jubilee. “Some gave the first team tickets to the Pope’s Wednesday audience,” said Leslie.

Founded in Britain in 1875, the British Association of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta has two auxiliary bodies, the Order of Malta Volunteers and the Companions of Malta. As part of the OSJCT (Order of St John Care Trust), it helps run homes for the aged in England.

Since 1950, the Order of Malta has operated a First Aid post in St Peter’s Square every day. It has upgraded the service for pilgrims during the Jubilee, for which it has acquired an electric ambulance. The E-Ambukart is designed to operate in areas where access to traditional ambulances is limited. 

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