First aid courses resume

More than 1,000 people have so far taken part in a campaign to educate and train more people in the Newark area in first aid.

Newark Community First Aid wants 10,000 people to have taken part by the time the campaign finishes. It was launched last Aug-ust and will continue for two years.

Training manager Mr Philip Jessop said: “Since the launch there has been interest from both individuals and community groups across all ages.

“We have had people from the age of six up to 87 attending training.

“In the first four months we have trained 1,081 people and feedback suggests many others have read our articles in the Advertiser.”

The campaign has restarted after the Christmas break with the first free course of the new year being held at Dean Hole Primary School, Caunton.

The course was fully booked with 20 people from the village along with representatives from local businesses.

Mr Jessop said the village had recently put two defibrillators in place and the training gave residents the opportunity to learn how to use the potentially lifesaving equipment.

The course also covered how to manage an incident, assess a patient and recognise and treat life-threatening conditions.

'Learn and practise the skills they would have to use'

“It is important that people learn and practise the skills they would have to use if they were confronted by a life-threatening incident,” he said.

“This course provided the opportunity to practise assessing an unconscious and conscious casualty, the recovery position and adult resuscitation, as well as learning about heart conditions and bleeding.”

More free 2½-hour courses have been arranged with one in Collingham this month and one in Carlton-on-Trent in February already fully booked.

This week the charity has been running courses for Newark accommodation providers and for villagers in Winthorpe and Kirklington.

Courses are planned for Cromwell, Farndon, the Hawton-ville area of Newark and Harby.

Mr Jessop said, due to demand, from parents and others who look after children at home, they are offering a six-hour course, which costs £30. The first one was yesterday. The next is on February 23.

Free 2½-hour baby and child courses take place in Newark and Balderton in March.

For full details and to book go to the Newark Community First Aid website or the group’s Facebook page. Alternatively email newarkcommunityfirstaiders@hotmail.co.uk or call 01636 683202.