Emergency Services Show
The middle of September saw a number of the Christian Professional and Sector Groups attend the Emergency Services Show at the NEC in Birmingham for our 7th year. Whilst initial impressions appeared to show a footfall lower than in previous years, attendance numbers were still high over the two days, with a good deal of interest in our stand.
Alongside colleagues such as Firefighters For Christ and the Christian Police Association, various CPSGs were well-represented, with a great deal of activity at our stands. Challenges in the form of a new floor plan for 2026 meant an unfamiliar layout compared to previous years, with us standing separately from other CPSGs for the first time. Plans for the Emergency Services Show 2027 to be held in an entirely new hall, as well as a streamlined and centralised booking process, will hopefully mean that next year, we have the opportunity to have a stand directly alongside colleagues such as Firefighters for Christ and the Christian Police Association.
The Emergency Services Show has always been a difficult event to gauge for us in terms of overall 'value for money'; yet it remains one of the main events in our calendar. Whilst we have been fortunate in previous years to gain new members on each of the two days, we mainly see attendance at the Emergency Services Show as a way to raise awareness of our charity, and the values that we stand for. We frequently hear from people working directly within our sector (be that frontline ambulance work, private medical cover, or those involved in the other emergency services) about how important welfare and chaplaincy is in the workplace, regardless of a presence or lack of faith.
It is from these interactions that we often see how large the gap is between the welfare and chaplaincy support/understanding offered by the workplace and by the church. This gap serves to highlight not only the main reason for our existence as a charity, but also the importance of working together as charities/CPSGs for the benefit of our members.
This year the Emergency Services Show saw us hold our first ever communion service before the second day of the event, led by our Co-Chair of Trustees, Rev. Steven Herron. This was well attended by members of the CPA, FFC and the Search and Rescue Christian Fellowship, and is something we hope to expand upon next year: hopefully offering this out to all Emergency Services Show exhibitors.
We were also able to send a representative to this year's National Ambulance Memorial Service at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. This was attended this year by Co-Chair Steven Herron and Trustee Mark Railton and allowed us to once again pay our respects to all ambulance personnel who have tragically died in this last year.
We ask you for continued prayer over the next year that we continue to grow as a charity, and continue to strengthen our relationships with our partner agencies so that we can provide support to an even wider audience. We look forward to what the Lord has in store for us over this next year, and we are looking forward to beginning preparation for the Emergency Services Show 2027 sometime in the new year.
Kind regards,
Dan Charles
Trustee & Operations Lead
CAA UK
christianambulance.org
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06/10/2026