Discounted first aid classes on campus

St John’s Ambulance on campus LINKS group will be offering discounted first aid classes on invaluable life saving skills.

Students and staff are encouraged to sign up for two Essential First Aid courses for a reduced price of £20. The classes will be run by trained Warwick students on May 5 from 12 noon to 3pm and on June 16 from 1pm to 4pm.

In 2013 alone St John’s Ambulance facilitated the training of 800,000 people in the UK. Last year Warwick’s LINKS society, recipient of the 2013 best community society award, gave more than 350 courses to students on campus.

The necessity of the skills available through this course is showcased in the experience of Matthew Ellams, a third-year Warwick student, who was able to help a fellow student when she collapsed on a bus in March.

Matthew took control of the situation and got the driver to pull over.

He said: “I performed a primary survey and checked her breathing, then called 999 to get an ambulance to her.

“As she came round it seemed she may have been dehydrated so I gave her some sips of water and continued to monitor her until the ambulance arrived.”

St John’s Ambulance aims to reduce the number of people who die needlessly because no one was able to administer the simple first aid they needed.

They estimate that annually 140,000 people die in situations where basic first aid could have saved them. This is the same number of lives as are lost to cancer.

Richard Salter, from Warwick LINKS commented: “As Matthew’s story shows, you never know when you might need first aid, it could be at home, at work or just out and about.

“By holding the courses at such a low price, we are hoping it will make first aid more accessible and encourage more students to learn the vital skills you need to increase your chances of helping to save someone’s life.”

The three-hour sessions will provide information and practical demonstrations on how to provide medical help and perform emergency life support for casualties of all ages.

Students and staff can sign up and buy tickets on the Warwick Students’ Union website or email welcome@warwicklinks.org.uk