Pupils learn first aid skills

THIRTY pupils from a Warrington primary school were among 3,000 from across the North West learning the skills to save a life thanks to a new partnership.
The youngsters from St Stephen’s RC Primary, Orford learned first aid skills through a partnership between first aid charity St John Ambulance and engineering support services company Babcock International.
School spokeswoman Anne Georgiou said: “Thirty children from the school took part in the one day course.
“They were fully engaged by the training which was pitched perfectly at an age appropriate level and range of stimulating activities supported the aims of the course. All children felt a real sense of achievement on completion of the course and were left with the confidence to apply their skills if required.
“The children particularly enjoyed receiving their certificates and are proud to be known as Young First Aiders. We would wholeheartedly recommend this course to other primary schools.”
The course is being funded by Babcock and their employees have taken part in a number fundraising activities to raise the funds needed to ensure that children have access to the training which will give them lifelong skills.
St John Ambulance regional training manager Graham Ellis said: “Our partnership with Babcock is enabling St John Ambulance to create a new generation of lifesavers, by training thousands of school children in first aid.
“This will give a long lasting benefit to communities across the county, as all the young people trained could potentially be the difference between a life lost or a life saved, whether it’s a friend, family member or complete stranger.”
Training sessions are created specifically to suit pupils’ needs; from an introduction to resuscitation (which includes the primary survey, the recovery position and cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to other essential life saving skills, such as how to treat choking, shock, burns and scalds, fainting and chest pains.
For further information about first aid training in schools, call 0161 443 0106 or email [email protected] or go to www.sja.org.uk