A gruelling charity challenge at the University of Worcester saw students and staff undertake 24 hours of continuous CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
Participants in the student-led CPR Training Marathon
The student-run CPR Training Marathon was designed to both raise money for charity and also highlight the importance of these life-saving skills.
Chief organiser and student, Jack Lambert, said: “A cardiac arrest can happen at any time to anyone and the more people that know what to do the better the outcome and recovery prospects can be,” he said. “A lot of students, who are not on health-related courses, might not have done CPR before. We’ve tried to give as many people as possible the opportunity to make sure that they’re comfortable and competent in doing it when needed.”
The event, which involved a number of students, some on the Paramedic Science course, aimed to get as many people learning the skill as possible and see how many students and staff could participate and perform CPR in 24 hours. More than 200 people took part.
One mannequin was being resuscitated at all times, alongside a number of drop-in stations where people could learn the skill, have a go and take part if they wished to.
For Business Management student Jack, 20, this mission is a personal one. His father Mike Lambert passed away suddenly in 2021, aged just 58. Jack told how his heart had stopped on the way to hospital in an ambulance and he was unable to be saved. But Jack hopes to do everything he can to save other lives.
This was the second year in a row that he has organised the CPR Training Marathon and he plans to repeat the challenge next year. Jack said, although the cost of living crisis might have prohibited everyone from being able to donate, raising awareness was just as important.
“It’s such a vital skill,” he added. “The more people that know it the better. That could save someone’s life and that could change a lot of lives, as you’re not affecting just one person. If someone is lost it doesn’t just affect them but all the people around them.
“I feel incredibly relieved and lucky to have had the support we have had from so many students, staff and other people around the University, especially the Students’ Union. Without all these people giving up their time, in particular the Paramedic Science students, this event could not have happened.”
Money raised from donations and a raffle will be split evenly between two charities. These are Beat the Clock, a charity that aims to transform the provision and awareness of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) at golf courses and other venues across the country, and Blood Bikes, which supports its members in providing a professional rapid response medical transport service to the NHS.