The public are invited to free CPR training in the city centre for Restart a Heart Day.
Local emergency and hospital teams are joining forces this October to help the public become lifesavers, with free CPR training events taking place across Cambridge in the lead-up to Restart a Heart Day... Culminating in a city-centre training day for anyone to drop in to.
Magpas Air Ambulance is once again collaborating with Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH), East Anglian Air Ambulance, East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust, and Royal Papworth Hospital on Thursday, 16th October, teaching the public lifesaving skills at Cambridge Guildhall, Lion Yard and the Grand Arcade.
Local residents, workers, shoppers and students are invited to take just a few minutes out of their day to learn lifesaving CPR techniques from frontline clinicians and CPR trainers. No booking is needed, and no prior medical knowledge is required.
This year’s event will also include awareness and hands-on training in the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)—simple, portable devices that can deliver a lifesaving shock to someone in cardiac arrest. While AEDs are designed to be used by anyone, a recent survey found that only 11% of people felt totally confident about using a defibrillator correctly. Organisers hope that by demystifying AEDs and giving people the chance to practise with them, more members of the public will feel empowered to act quickly in an emergency.
Last year saw over 600 members of the public trained in a single day. “The CPR training was first class, and I genuinely gained some very useful and valuable knowledge, one participant said. Organisers hope to build on this success in 2025, reaching even more people with the skills and confidence to act in a medical emergency.
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests affect around 30,000 people each year in the UK, but survival rates remain low. Bystander CPR can double someone’s chance of survival—but only if the public are equipped and willing to step in. These short sessions could empower you to save a loved one, a colleague or even a stranger.
Nicola Cooper, Magpas Air Ambulance's CPR Training Lead, says “For the Magpas Air Ambulance CPR team, Restart a Heart Day is the highlight of our year for training. This year, we are proud to partner with organisations again that share our goal: increasing public awareness of cardiac arrest and providing lifesaving CPR skills training. A core part of our mission is to address common public fears about using a defibrillator and to answer common questions people have regarding CPR provision.
"Last year's event was a great success, allowing us to connect with many people, including our dedicated supporters, and reinforcing our valuable role within the wider network of lifesaving trainers. I'd love to train even more people this year, so if you can pop down, you can find me by the Magpas Air Ambulance rapid response vehicle, which will be based in the Grand Arcade all day!”
