SKIPTON schoolchildren joined thousands across the country to take part in the fifth annual Restart a Heart campaign.

Greatwood Community Primary School was visited by Hearts in Little Hands, a team of staff from Airedale General Hospital, while around 150 pupils from Skipton Girls High School were trained in valuable life-saving skills.

The campaign was initiated by the Resus Council UK and is now supported by many other organisations and independent volunteers across the UK such as the British Heart Foundation, St John Ambulance and Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

Its aim is to teach as many people as possible in life-saving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Airedale Hospital’s Hearts in Little Hands, made up of doctors and nurses, was set up to deliver first aid and CPR awareness to young schoolchildren, their teachers, and carers.

The campaign this year has become an international venture, joined by the member organisations of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation.

Jonelle Yeoman, Greatwood’s headteacher, invited the Airedale team to teach the 237 children and staff CPR awareness.

The team included Dr Annie Summers, Sister Samantha Cresswell, staff nurses Stacey Bentham and Julie Cripps, emergency department consultant Meg Crossley, first aid provider Paula Colman, health care support workers Amina Abu El Hawa and Lauren Rushton, and medical students Wei Hann Toh, Shermaine Chong Chui Ching and Amira.

Across the country, the events aimed to train a record breaking 200,000 people with the skills and confidence needed to help save a life.

There are more than 30,000 cardiac arrests a year outside of hospitals where medical emergency services attempt resuscitation.

Less than ten per cent survive, but if CPR can be started early, it can double the chances of survival.

Dr Andrew Lockey, World Restart a Heart Co-Lead and Honorary Secretary at the Resuscitation Council (UK), said: “We are determined to increase the number of potential lifesavers across the UK and the world, and increase survival rates from cardiac arrests as a result. We are aware of lives that have already been saved as a result of this initiative, and the potential for more lives to be saved will accumulate over the years.”

By increasing public engagement and knowledge of how to offer immediate help in these situations, lives can be saved.

And, says the campaign leaders, children from a young age engage remarkably well, retaining the information of how to get and offer help and respond appropriately.

Although the Department of Education and political leaders have plans to make CPR and first aid training part of the National Curriculum, this is currently only being considered for those in secondary school. The training offered by Hearts in Little hands was tailored to the various age groups across the school and the results were ‘phenomenal’.

The team came away believing the training should be extended to primary schools across the UK.

Training resources such as the resuscitation manikins were provided by Paula Colman, first aid training, Airedale General Hospital and Rachel Leighton of Swimstart in Silsden, alongside an anatomical heart model provided by the Faculty of Health, University of Bradford.

The team from Hearts in Little Hands says it will continue to support the campaign and voluntarily offer to teach young children key life skills for the future, raising awareness and inspiring the younger generation.

At Skipton Girls High School, volunteers from the British Heart Foundation and the Yorkshire Ambulance Service taught about 150 pupils potentially life saving skills.

A school spokesman said: “The students were taught when the stakes are high, don’t think twice, just try. This hands on experience is invaluable and Skipton Girls now has over 800 students who are confident enough to try to save a life.”

Pictures at Greatwood Primary School by Amina Abu El Hawa