24-hour CPR Marathon to Return to University

The annual 24-hour CPR marathon challenge is returning to the University of Worcester next month.

Starting at 9am on March 10, students, staff and visitors will maintain cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a training mannequin until 9am the following morning.

The event has become an annual fixture, arranged by members of the Paramedic Society (Parasoc) and raises money for causes close to the students’ hearts.

Last year’s event raised almost £1,000 for the chosen charities.

Elise Faragher is the Chair of the Paramedic Society. She said: “We’re proud to host the event this year, planning is underway and we’re confident we can live up to previous years.”

“In previous years we’ve raised money for Midlands Air Ambulance, and we want to continue to support them as they have a very crucial role in assisting the work paramedics do.”

She continued: “We’re also raising money for Heartstart Malvern as they provide training to the community of Malvern and set up defibrillators around the town.”

She added: “Their work fits in with the campaign our society are running this year which is to teach people CPR and defibrillator use.”

Amy Shadbolt, Vice Chair for Inclusivity and Promotions, said: “The aim of the marathon is to teach people how to recognise a cardiac arrest, perform CPR and use a defibrillator. Doing compressions on a mannequin for 24 hours adds a fun challenge for everyone involved!”

She continued: “CPR is an incredibly important skill, as early initiation of CPR is directly linked to positive outcomes in a cardiac arrest, it’s something that people hopefully won’t have to use, but if needed and performed it can save someone’s life.”

If you’d like to donate to the society ahead of the event, you can do so by visiting the GoFundMe page.

For information on courses at University of Worcester visit www.worcester.ac.uk or for application enquiries, telephone 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk