Community CPR and Defibrillator Training
Save a life - learn CPR
Every year, thousands of people experience a cardiac arrest outside of hospital. When it happens, the actions taken in the first few minutes can mean the difference between life and death.
Our free CPR and defibrillator familiarisation sessions give people in the South West the skills, confidence and knowledge to act fast in an emergency - and potentially save a life before an ambulance arrives.
What we offer
Free CPR and defibrillator familiarisation sessions
We offer free* community training sessions covering:
- How to recognise a cardiac arrest
- How to perform effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
- How to safely use a public access defibrillator
- What happens when you call 999 and how you fit into the response
Sessions are interactive, practical and hands-on, with plenty of opportunity to practise CPR, use training defibrillators, and ask questions in a supportive environment.
No prior medical knowledge is needed. The sessions usually take about 60 - 90 minutes.
*Our training sessions are free to deliver, but we kindly ask during the sessions for voluntary donations to the South Western Ambulance Charity. Every donation helps us reach more communities and equip more people with lifesaving skills.
Why arrange a CPR and defibrillator session?
Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere - at home, at work, or in the community.
- In the UK, only around 1 in 10 people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
- When early CPR and a defibrillator are used within the first 3-5 minutes, survival rates can increase up to 70%.
- Yet still 38% of UK adults have never had CPR training.
Those first few minutes matter. By learning CPR and how to use a defibrillator, you could be the person who keeps someone alive until help arrives.
Our aim is to empower individuals and communities, reduce health inequalities, and improve survival from cardiac arrest across the South West.
Our CPR and defibrillator training sessions are delivered by Community Training Volunteers
All sessions are delivered by a Community Training Volunteer from the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT).
Community Training Volunteers play a vital role in strengthening community resilience by increasing awareness, confidence and knowledge of lifesaving skills.
They are trained, supported and governed by SWASFT, with funding support from the South Western Ambulance Charity.