Schools, colleges, workplaces, community groups, families, and individuals are all encouraged to take advantage of free training being offered this week to ensure as many people as possible know how to ‘restart a heart’.
October is ‘Restart a Heart Month’ – with organisations including Ambulance and Rescue and St John Guernsey offering free training as part of a national awareness campaign.
A free, interactive livestream is being offered on Thursday 1 October to help equip people with the confidence and skills to help save a life.
The ‘Restart a Heart Live’ initiative will be followed by ‘Restart a Heart Week’, which will run from 12 – 16 October, with hands-on training sessions being offered in Guernsey.
More than 40,000 people in the UK experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year, with fewer than one in ten surviving.
Research shows that immediate bystander CPR and early use of a defibrillator can more than double a person’s chance of survival, with health organisations saying this proves that public education is one of the most powerful ways to improve outcomes.
There have been examples in Guernsey of how immediate bystander CPR and use of a defibrillator can save lives with Leon Ogier surviving a cardiac arrest early last year, and Tina Collenette’s life being saved the year before after she also suffered a cardiac arrest.
The Restart A Heart Live campaign was created to remove barriers to learning lifesaving skills with viewers able to take part in the online training with simple props like a cushion, folded jacket or teddy bear.
Schools can choose from a range of live sessions throughout the day on Thursday, with content tailored for different age groups.
If schools are unable to join live, they can register to receive access to a recorded session.
Schools can register now at www.restartaheart.live.
