OVER 100 people will be learning life-saving skills in Malvern on Valentines Day thanks to the town’s defibrillator charity,
Heartstart Malvern will be attempting to train the group in vital life-saving skills at a special event on Friday, February 14.
The event called ‘Save a Heart on Valentines Day’, will be held at Malvern Theatre thanks to collaboration between the charity, the performance centre and Malvern Hills District Council.
Five training sessions, each lasting 90 minutes, will be held during the day. There is no charge for the training.
Richard Vakis-Lowe, Chairman Heartstart Malvern said: “If people are looking for one thing to do in 2025 that will make a real difference to the local community, I would urge them to think about attending a Heartstart Malvern training session.
“The more people we can train in these simple life-saving skills, the more lives that will be saved.”
The charity chairman went on to explain that cardiac arrest is probably the most urgent life-threatening condition, with the immediate actions of a bystander significantly improving the sufferers chance of a positive outcome.
Around 80 per cent of cardiac arrests happen at home making it all the more important that as many people as possible learn the life-saving skills necessary to help.
The survival rate from a cardiac arrest in Malvern is currently less than 10 per cent but Richard says it could be over 50 per cent if more people learn.
Councillor Jennie Watkins, Portfolio Holder for Communities and Housing at Malvern Hills District Council, said: “We are thankful to Heartstart Malvern for inviting councillors and staff to learn these life-saving skills.
“It is important we encourage everyone we can to take up this opportunity. We will explore further opportunities to increase the survival rate from cardiac arrest across the Malvern Hills district”.
Richard shared his gratitude to the council and Malvern Theatre for their support with the project.
He added: “I would like to encourage other local businesses and organisations to encourage their staff and colleagues to attend one of the training sessions.
“We believe that Heartstart Malvern helped to save 3 or 4 lives in 2024. We could save more lives in 2025.”
The event is free but booking is essential. Visit www.heartstartmalvern.org.uk or call 07926 615812 for more information.
