Kenilworth charity back training people in life-saving skills

A charity in Kenilworth is back training people in life-saving skills.

Kenilworth HeartSafe (KHS) was established 18 months ago with two principle objectives.

First, to cover Kenilworth and the district with a sufficient number of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) available to the public 24/7 and to promote training and awareness of life-saving techniques.

There are now a total of 21 AEDs in the area and six were installed since the pandemic started. However training had to stop.

As the country gradually emerged from the lockdown, KHS put their minds to how they could possibly re-start training, and still comply with strict health and safety precautions.

Seringa Dudley and Nicky Schofield are lead trainers for KHS, and as well as being trustees of the charity; both are medically qualified.

Seringa is a qualified nurse and first aid trainer and Nicky is a qualified physiotherapist.

They researched various authorities to see how KHS could safely re-start training, whilst fully complying with Covid-safe regulations, these include the British Red Cross Society and the Resuscitation Council.

They came up with a safe methodology of training by demonstration (not hands-on), outdoors for groups of trainees from a maximum of six separate households.

The first two sessions were held last week in the garden of St John’s Church in Kenilworth, which is a strong KHS supporter and installed an AED at their own expense for public use earlier this year.

Two groups of six trainees attended including the Town Mayor Richard Dickson and his wife Kate, a former Town Mayor.

Seringa and Nicky gave their demonstration and talk which was followed by questions from the floor.

They said: “We really enjoyed this opportunity to interact with people and demonstrate life-saving techniques.

"AEDs are important but it is equally important for people to understand how to use them and apply CPR.

"We intend to use the summer and early Autumn weather to continue similar sessions.”

Anybody interested in joining or hosting future sessions should contact Seringa on: [email protected] or Keith Grierson on: [email protected] or call: 07536 / 092488.