Free first aid courses

Training

St John Ambulance is giving local people the chance to be the difference between a life lost and a life saved.

Introductory course

The charity is running free first aid courses on Saturday 24 April at 10am and at 2pm at:

  • Gosport – Unit 32 Regents Trade park, PO13 9EQ
  • Ringwood – Greyfriars Community Centre, BH24 9DW
  • Farnborough – 99 Hawley Lane (opposite Lok ‘n’ Store), GU14 8JG7

There’s no time to pick up a book or google “how to resuscitate your child

Gareth Bloomfield
Molly's dad

The 90-minute introductory course will cover choking, bleeding, resuscitation and recovery position.

Research carried out on behalf of St John Ambulance has shown that 25 per cent of the population would do nothing in an emergency and 58 per cent would not feel confident trying to save a life.

The difference campaign has been backed in Hampshire by single dad Gareth Bloomfield, 40, who used first aid skills to revive daughter Molly when she stopped breathing after falling off a swing at the age of four.

He said: 'If the information is not there, you can't use it.  There's no time to pick up a book or google “how to resuscitate your child”!'

George Ringrow, County Chief Executive Officer for St John Ambulance in Hampshire said: 'We hope people will take up this offer to learn the basics.

'You never know when any of us will be called on to make the difference between a life saved and a life lost.'

St John Ambulance is giving away free first aid guides.  To get your free pocket sized guide, just text LIFE to 85010 or visit the St John Ambulance website for more information on the campaign http://www.sja.org.uk/

You can also get advice on your iPhone with the St John Ambulance first aid app, available through iTunes.

Key results show that in the South East of England:

  • Nearly half (40%) would try and do first aid despite not having the skills
  • Just over a quarter (26%) wrongly said they knew what first aid to do