Council supports Heart restart campaign

World Restart a Heart Day returns on Tuesday, October 16, to again provide free life-saving CPR training to as many people as possible in the Mid Ulster district.
Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, Councillor Sean McPeake is pictured learning some lifesaving CPR skills ahead of World Restart a Heart Day which takes place on Tuesday 16th October. Also pictured (l-r) are: Raisa Donnelly, Mid Ulster District Council; Stephanie Leckey and Mandy Hunt, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service; and Anne Caldwell, Mid Ulster District Council.Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, Councillor Sean McPeake is pictured learning some lifesaving CPR skills ahead of World Restart a Heart Day which takes place on Tuesday 16th October. Also pictured (l-r) are: Raisa Donnelly, Mid Ulster District Council; Stephanie Leckey and Mandy Hunt, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service; and Anne Caldwell, Mid Ulster District Council.
Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, Councillor Sean McPeake is pictured learning some lifesaving CPR skills ahead of World Restart a Heart Day which takes place on Tuesday 16th October. Also pictured (l-r) are: Raisa Donnelly, Mid Ulster District Council; Stephanie Leckey and Mandy Hunt, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service; and Anne Caldwell, Mid Ulster District Council.

Organised in partnership between Mid Ulster District Council, the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, and Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, the training will provide participants with the knowledge and skills to deal effectively with emergency situations.

Training sessions will take place from 10am-12pm at Cookstown Leisure Centre, Dungannon leisure Centre and Greenvale Leisure Centre, Magherafelt. There will also be one evening session from 6.30pm-8.30pm at Cookstown Leisure Centre.

Community and voluntary organisations, sports clubs, workplaces, and anyone else who would like to learn how to correctly perform CPR in the event of a cardiac arrest, are being urged to attend.

As part of World Restart a Heart Day, training will also be delivered across the district to pupils in many of the local Primary and Post Primary Schools.

The main aim of the day is to increase awareness of the importance of bystander CPR which increases the chance of survival when someone has a cardiac arrest. Each year in Northern Ireland there are around 1,400 out of hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs).

OHCAs can occur in homes and public spaces. Every minute counts when someone has an OHCA: every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces the chances of survival by up to 10%. But many people simply don’t have the skills and confidence to step in and help, and this training will provide these vital skills.

Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, Councillor Sean McPeake said, “I am delighted the Council has once again worked in partnership with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service to provide free lifesaving CPR training to the people of Mid Ulster as part of World Restart a Heart Day 2018. The fact the training is free will hopefully be a great enticement for people to come out and attend one of the sessions on October 16.

“Ambulance response times have historically been longer in Mid Ulster, largely due to the rurality of the area. The training will help us create a community of life savers across the district.”

World Restart a Heart Day is an annual initiative which aims to raise awareness of the importance of bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and is part of a wider action plan on Community Resuscitation in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and other Agencies.

To register for the training contact Environmental Health at Mid Ulster District Council on 03000 132 132 or email [email protected]

stating the session you wish to attend.