Berkshire schools urged to teach life saving skills

The new Berkshire schools team will be promoting first aid in a variety of ways – from offering classroom training sessions, to talking at assemblies and encouraging teachers to use St John Ambulance’s Young First Aider pack.

The aim of the new Berkshire St John Ambulance project is to teach pupils throughout the county the vital skills needed to save lives.  

Teaching young people to be the difference 

The new Schools Liaison Team has already taught first aid to more than 100 pupils in schools and youth organisations this year and aims to equip more than 1,500 youngsters with life saving skills by the end of the academic year.

Newly appointed Schools and Community Liaison Officer Natasha Bright-Thomas will be working with a team of volunteer first aiders to include first aid in the classroom curriculum.

The project is part of St John Ambulance’s mission to ensure that every school pupil has access to first aid and health and safety training as a fundamental right.

Natasha, a qualified teacher, said: ‘No school pupil is too young to learn basic first aid. And what greater lesson is there than the one which teaches them to be the difference between a life lost and a life saved?

Essential life skills

First aid training helps young people understand the value of life and the importance of caring for others. It also builds self-esteem and develops valuable life skills for the future.’

The training covers the main medical emergencies including choking, severe bleeding, heart attack, dealing with an unconscious casualty and with someone who’s stopped breathing.

First aid training can be incorporated into other subjects already being taught in schools, including PHSE, Citizenship, PE and the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme.

Berkshire pupils showed their enthusiasm for learning first aid at a four day ‘Junior Citizen’ event held at the Yattendon Estate last month. More than 400 youngsters aged 10 and 11 learned how to deal with choking and severe bleeding during a series of workshops.

The event was organised by Education Business Partnership West Berkshire and brought together pupils from 15 schools.

Students at Newbury College recently were also keen to master basic life saving skills when St John Ambulance first aiders joined other local organisations for a ‘Stay Safe’ event held at the college.

Any schools or community youth clubs interested in running first aid courses should call Natasha on 0118 933 5514 or email schools@berkshire.sja.org.uk  .