Restarting Hearts at Forge

Restarting Hearts at Forge

Last month, tens of thousands of young people across the country received vital life-saving skills advice in classrooms. The students took part in National Restart a Heart Day, learning the basic skills needed to help someone survive. Among them were 350 students from Forge, who were taught the importance of heart health. Students learnt how to perform life-saving CPR should they come across someone collapsed, not breathing and potentially in cardiac arrest. Head of Academy, Dr Lisa Mason said: “With the support of a range of local medical services including Fast Aid, who were collated by British Heart Foundation and the British Red Cross specifically for this event, we were able to train all of year 7 and significant numbers in other year groups. This is something we are keen to repeat next year and ensure that every student who attends Forge has this life-saving training.” The event has been organised in conjunction with the Resuscitation Council (UK), the British Heart Foundation, which provides the necessary equipment free of charge as part of its Nation of Lifesavers campaign, and St John Ambulance. All UK ambulance trusts held events to mark Restart a Heart Day. The free training kits donated to the schools taking part, included 30 blow up dolls to practise with, mats for the learners’ knees and clinical wipes. Simon Gillespie, Chief Executive at the British Heart Foundation, said, “CPR is the difference between life and death for thousands of people every year in the UK who suffer a cardiac arrest. Every second counts, and it simply isn’t enough to hope that someone who knows CPR is present. We need everyone to learn this life-saving skill to give them the confidence to step in and give CPR when someone collapses after a cardiac arrest.” There are more than 30,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests across the UK every year but less than one in ten people survive. Mandatory training of all secondary school children in CPR would improve this rate of survival.