Julian is urging people to join the campaign to dramatically increase the number of people trained in life-saving CPR and help create a Nation of Lifesavers.
More than 30,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest out of hospital every year, 80 per cent of these occur in the home and often in front of a family member or loved one.
Fewer than one in ten people survive, partly because not enough people have the skills and confidence to perform CPR.
The British Heart Foundation is now calling for CPR and public access defibrillator awareness to be taught in all secondary schools. They believe this could save around 5,000 additional lives in the UK.
Julian is backing this campaign and asking secondary schools and community groups across Skipton and Ripon to order a free Call Push Rescue Training Kit. He said:
“Cardiac arrest survival rates in the UK are way behind survival rates in other countries where CPR training is part of the curriculum.
“By joining the Nation of Lifesavers I want to see every child in the UK finish school equipped with the necessary skills to respond in a medical emergency which is why I am delighted to be able to support this campaign.
“CPR is an important skill and just 30 minutes of training could save someone’s life.”
At the event he met Samantha Hobbs who, at the age of 14, helped to save her mum’s life by performing CPR.
Simon Gillespie, Chief Executive of the British Heart Foundation, added:
“Too many lives are lost needlessly because people don’t have the basic CPR skills to act in life-threatening situations.
“We’re determined to radically improve the country’s shocking survival rates and mandatory training in secondary schools will go a long way towards that.
“We need every school, workplace, community group and individual to join the Nation of Lifesavers and help make the UK a safer place to live.”
To help the BHF create a Nation of Lifesavers visit bhf.org.uk/lifesavers.