Chief Operating Officer & Founder

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Mike Nicholson founded Community Medics CIC with a clear strategic vision: to rebuild a community-first approach to event medical services and youth engagement. Drawing on years of operational, leadership, and volunteer management experience with St John Ambulance, Mike recognised a growing gap in accessible first aid provision and youth opportunities, and saw the need for a modern organisation built around community impact, sustainability, and high clinical standards.

From 2019 to 2024, Mike served in key operational roles at St John Ambulance, contributing to some of the most significant public health efforts in recent history. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he supported the Northwest response, coordinating volunteers across Cumbria and Lancashire during the national vaccination rollout. His work ensured that teams were deployed efficiently, safely, and effectively, a responsibility requiring calm leadership under pressure, strong logistical oversight, and the ability to bring together large volunteer groups in rapidly changing situations.

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Mike went on to manage the planning and delivery of the BBC Radio Manchester & St John Ambulance “3 Ways to Save a Life” campaign, a high-reach public initiative that successfully promoted essential lifesaving skills to communities across Greater Manchester. This experience helped shape his belief that first aid education should be accessible, engaging, and part of everyday community life, not restricted to those who can afford it.

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Alongside his professional roles, Mike has built a strong foundation in youth leadership. As the Greater Manchester District Youth Lead for St John Ambulance (volunteer) and a Trustee within The Scouts, he has consistently championed youth empowerment, safeguarding excellence, and the development of young leaders. These roles reinforced his commitment to ensuring that every young person has access to meaningful, structured opportunities to learn, grow, and contribute to their community.

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Community Medics CIC was born from this combination of operational experience, strategic insight, and community passion. Mike identified two key gaps:

1. The need for affordable, high quality first aid provision for grassroots groups, who were increasingly priced out of essential support.

2. The decline of local youth groups, leaving young people without accessible programmes to learn first aid, build confidence, and engage in positive community activity.
    

Under Mike’s leadership, Community Medics CIC is built intentionally as a sustainable, purpose-driven organisation. As Chief Operating Officer, he oversees strategy, governance, community partnerships, service delivery, and the development of both volunteer and youth pathways. His focus is on creating a resilient organisation that reinvests into communities, uplifts local people, and supports the next generation of young leaders.

Mike’s vision for Community Medics CIC is clear:
To create a trusted, community-embedded organisation that delivers safe, inclusive event medical services; equips 10,000 people with lifesaving skills; and provides young people with meaningful opportunities to learn, volunteer, and lead.