Description: A group of St John Ambulance Brigade members at the Manor Football Ground, off Manor Road. The occasion may be one of the annual Ilkeston Flower Shows. A stretcher, blanket and splints are displayed in readiness for any emergency. The St John Ambulance Association was formed in 1877 by the charitable Order of St John of Jerusalem so that ordinary people could be trained to provide first aid. This ensured that accident victims could be treated quickly and on the spot. The movement was particularly strong in areas - like Ilkeston - that were dominated by the railway and mining industries. From 1887 trained volunteers were organised into uniformed brigades in order to supply organised ambulance services at public events and were the first and only service of this type well into the 20th century.