Every girl at Queen Margaret’s, York will be trained in life-saving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as part of Restart a Heart Day, a Europe wide initiative in association with Yorkshire Ambulance Service and the British Heart Foundation.
The heart that each girl will restart today may be that of a manikin but this important training could increase survival rate amongst cardiac arrest victims by two to three times. Alongside, a defibrillator and a 24/7 medical team on site, this training will make Queen Margaret’s School one of the safest places in the county.
Every girl will be taught to recognise a cardiac arrest, call for help and be given the confidence to perform CPR until the arrival of an ambulance in sessions throughout the day.
Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Yorkshire, Major General Michael Charlton-Weedy CBE DL, who is also a former parent and Governor at QM, will be visiting this morning to offer his support and provide a first-hand account of CPR.
Queen Margaret’s Head, Jessica Miles says: “We are delighted to be involved in such an important initiative. At Queen Margaret’s we educate the whole person and this potentially life-saving training not only provides our girls with a skill that may be called upon at any time during their lives, it also builds their confidence and encourages them to be engaged members of their community.”