Schools invited to Restart a Heart

Schools and community groups are being invited to learn how to perform CPR.
Pupils at St Peter and St Paul CEP School, Bexhill, participating in Restart a Heart 2016.Pupils at St Peter and St Paul CEP School, Bexhill, participating in Restart a Heart 2016.
Pupils at St Peter and St Paul CEP School, Bexhill, participating in Restart a Heart 2016.

The Restart a Heart campaign, which is run by the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb), will be offering training between October 10 and 16.

SECAmb took part in the Europe-wide initiative for the first time last year when staff and volunteers trained close to 8,500 children and some adults.

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The trust is now keen to hear from schools and community groups interested in being part of this year's project. Youngsters need to be aged 11 and over (Year 6) to take part.

A SECAmb spokesman said more than 30,000 people suffer cardiac arrests in the UK every year. If it happens in front of a bystander, who starts CPR immediately, the patient’s chances of survival are significantly improved. Today, if someone suffers a cardiac arrest out of hospital in the UK, they have less than a one-in-10 chance of surviving.

Emma Ray, SECAmb’s volunteer operations manager, said: “We were delighted with the success of our involvement in Restart a Heart for the first time in 2016 and we’re looking to build on it this year.

“We’re continuing to focus our efforts on schools and community groups as by giving young people the confidence in how to act quickly and perform CPR, they can take this skill with them throughout their lives.

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“The numbers we trained last year far exceeded our expectations. It was incredible and everyone embraced their new skills with enormous enthusiasm.”

Anyone interested in finding out more for their school or group should email [email protected] or contact their local Community First Responder group.

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