Save a life this September, St John experts urge

St John Ambulance, the nation’s leading first aid charity, is launching Save a Life September this year as part of a campaign to equip as many people as possible with vital first aid skills.

Throughout September, the charity will be giving free demonstrations to help the public learn how to save a life using five easy to follow techniques and will receive a free pocket-sized first aid guide to carry in case of emergency.

Research carried out by St John Ambulance last year showed that up to 150,000 people die every year in situations where first aid could have given them the chance to live.

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This includes nearly 900 people who choke to death, 2,500 who asphyxiate from a blocked airway and 29,000 who die from heart attacks.

In addition, the charity found that around 58 per cent of people wouldn’t know what to do if faced with a medical emergency and a quarter would do nothing.

Steve Nicholson of St John Ambulance said: ‘Learning first aid is one of the single most important things you can do in your life.

“You never know when you may need it – at work, at home, in school, playing sport – you just don’t know.

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“With basic first aid skills, anyone can be the difference between a life lost and a life saved and what could be more important than saving someone’s life?

“By launching Save a Life September and holding first aid demonstrations across the country, we want to reach as many people as possible, so that more people are equipped with the skills to save a life.

“Anyone who needs first aid should get it and armed with this knowledge we can all be the difference between a life lost and a life saved.”

To find out more about events in your area, visit www.sja.org.uk/sals.