9th June 2015

Tuxford Students Learn to Save Lives

Tuxford Academy was proud to host their first Cardiac Risk Awareness Day on Friday 9th June for over 180 Year 9 students.

Paramedic staff in full uniform held workshops and taught the students essential skills.

Students took part in workshops, working with paramedics and learning how to administer CPR and resuscitation techniques, practising on CPR dummies, learning about ECGs and the role of paramedics, as well as having a guided tour of an ambulance.

East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) aim to get life-saving skills on the curriculum, to arm students with the essential information and knowledge that could one day save a life.

As one of the Tuxford Academy Year 9 students said,

“This is helpful information for life. Anyone you know, family or friend, could need this; it’s great to know how to do what is required to help.”

East Midland Ambulance Service (EMAS) are hoping to roll the programme out to a further 106 schools across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in 2015/16.

In 2012 Footballer Fabrice Muamba famously not only survived but made a full recovery thanks to the timely CPR and defibrillator administered at the scene; this was highly significant to his survival.

Sadly statistics show that in the UK 12 young people under the age of 25 will die each week because of similar conditions; receiving immediate basic life support can increase their chances of survival.

Locally in 2011 youngster Reece Jeffrey died suddenly whilst playing football, aged just 15. Just one month later a 24 year old man died whilst playing cricket.

With this in mind EMAS are working with three national charities; Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS UK) and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to develop this package.

The proposed training package includes three 50 minute workshops on CPR, AED and Ambulance Awareness; the programme can be tailored to suit the audience/age group and time available.

Tuxford Academy are proud to be one of the first schools to take part in this scheme, helping students gain vital life skills to take with them long beyond their academic studies.

-ENDS-

Address: Marnham Road, Tuxford, Newark NG22 0JH Website: www.tuxford-ac.org.uk

Press enquiries to: Mrs Nicola Manning, Marketing Leader, Tel: 01777 870001 Ext 571

Email: n.manning@tuxford –ac.org.uk

Principal: Mr D Cotton