Published: 5th September 2025.
Last updated: 5th September 2025.
Author: Cara Sherratt.
Contents
Many of us would do anything – and we mean anything – for the people we care about. So, surely, we’d give up less than 30 minutes to make sure they’re protected? It’s a no-brainer!
This Save a Life September, St John Ambulance aims to teach 300,000 people how to treat choking, cardiac arrest and severe bleeding. We’re encouraging parents, grandparents, partners, siblings and colleagues to learn first aid, and make sure the people they care about are safe and protected.
For most people, the thought of being in an emergency situation where they might be responsible for saving someone’s life is terrifying. The responsibility would be overwhelming. The fear of failure – overpowering.
It’s not a situation people like to think about. In fact, they actively avoid thinking about it, choosing to believe that it won’t happen to them. And the chances are, it won’t.
But what those skills give people is the power to protect those they care about. These basic first aid skills will keep their loved ones safer.
Why This Matters: See The Stats Behind the Campaign
Research* shows that a third (32%) of the workforce surveyed have never had any first aid training and wouldn’t be able to support their colleagues in a crisis. Further, only 61% (Q9) feel confident they could actually administer first aid in a crisis, highlighting a gap between good intentions and practical ability.
In addition to this, there is also a requalification gap. According to the same research, 21% of participants say that they have skills that are more than 5 years old, and with the average qualified first aider last being trained three years ago, this means that there is a significant number with out-of-date qualifications.
79% of these employees agree they genuinely care about their colleagues, and the same proportion go out of their way to help their colleagues when they can – so if you do anything for them, do this. Get first aid trained this Save a Life September.
Get learning at a volunteer-led demo or online now. Visit sja.org.uk/save-a-life-september. These free sessions are a great place to start, but workplaces should not just book training to meet basic compliance needs. We’re urging you to encourage your workplaces to go the extra step and act now to protect as many people as possible with lifesaving training.
Reasons to sign your team up to workplace first aid training
- It saves lives. A trained employee can be the difference between life and death before emergency services arrive. (Every minute without CPR reduces survival by 10%)
- It shows your staff you care about them. Training staff builds a safer, more confident workplace, where everyone can feel protected.
- It protects loved ones as well as colleagues. Your staff will learn skills that help them protect the people they care about wherever they are.
- It boosts your reputation. Training staff positions your organisation as an advocate for health and wellbeing, boosting brand trust and attracting top talent.
- It fulfils your duty of care. Ensuring compliance with your legal obligations to protect employees, and showing leadership in workplace safety and welfare.
Why choose St John Ambulance workplace first aid training?
St John Ambulance wants to put the power of first aid into everybody’s hands. As a charity, our commercial operations help fund our life-saving work. We have over a century of experience in training people to save lives and a commitment to continual innovation. Because when a life is on the line, the best training can give people confidence and life-saving skills. We integrate the best practices from across the world to make sure our courses are among the most advanced and effective available. We are globally recognised and rated 4.9 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot. Our courses are also delivered by top-tier professionals with real-life emergency experience.
Put simply - when your team learns with us, they are learning from the best.
St John Ambulance maintains the highest training standards and is unique in being authorised by the Health and Safety Executive as a self-certifying body. That means we are trusted to a level that requires no external validation.
We offer a flexible and holistic approach, meaning you and your team can learn the skills you need in the way that’s right for you.
In addition to our in-person first aid courses, that provide essential life-saving training in a real-world group setting, we’ve also been working on new ways to help get more people qualified. We’re dedicated to improving our services to meet the varying needs of our customers, therefore we’ve expanded our learning options to include blended learning courses that can allow you to get certified in a more flexible and convenient way. Explore our in person courses, and browse the range of blended training we have available to book today.
And our commitment to you doesn’t end when the training course does. You’ll also get continuous access to our online resources and refresher materials – meaning you can ensure your first aid skills are always sharp and effective.
* The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2002 UK Employees (16+). The data was collected between 11.07.2025 - 17.07.2025. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.
