ST John Ambulance volunteers are ‘heartbroken’ after learning the charity’s base in Brierley Hill is to close after more than 125 years

The life-saving charity's base in Bent Street has been put up for sale, with its youth and adult volunteers set to split to two different venues.

Adults will travel to the St John centre in Dudley, while youngsters will now receive first-aid training at Pensnett Community Centre instead.

The move has received some criticism from volunteers but St John bosses at local and national level insist it is the ‘right decision’.

The centre is set to close on July 6 after the branch’s awards night and youth leader Lee Batham said it would be a sad day for the area.

Mr Batham said: “Over the last four years members of Brierley Hill St John have raised more than £110,000 for ‘our home’ – and now they have taken it upon themselves to sell off the building.

“We are being forced to find somewhere else to make our home and we have been really lucky that the people at Pensnett Community Centre have been fantastically accommodating to us long term.

“But it’s still upheaval and the place is part and parcel of Brierley Hill.

“Brierley Hill is already downtrodden, it’s turning into a ghost town and 125 years is way too much to just forget.

“We’ve supplied paramedics, nurses, doctors, surgeons, GPs, cardiologists, firemen, policemen, people across the board, with expertise that they have learned at Brierley Hill and gone on to further their career.

“It’s heartbreaking for me and the fantastic group of kids we have here. Kids get a bad press but there’s not a bad apple among them here – and they were all upset when they found out this was no longer to be our home.”

Philip Walker, estate programme manager for St John, insisted the decision would not jeopardise the charity’s future in the area.

Mr Walker said: “We are reviewing all properties across the country to ensure that as a charity we make best use of our resources.

“As a result of this review a decision has been made to close the Brierley Hill building. However, this doesn’t mean the local volunteer group will disband.

“We engaged with our volunteers who decided to continue to meet in a local community centre, and additionally, they will have full use of our recently refurbished facilities in Dudley which is just 2.5 miles away.

“We remain committed to providing first aid in and around Brierley Hill and are glad that we can continue to meet and serve the community.”

Steve Garratt, Brierley Hill St John Ambulance’s youth unit manager, added: “It’s always sad when a building closes, but it’s the right decision.

“We didn’t have the space or resources that we needed to grow, and the community centre team are being really accommodating to us.

“We have a fantastic group of around 50 young volunteers and we’re looking forward to the unit continuing to thrive and improve in our new home, the nearby Pensnett Community Centre.”