Schools are being urged to take part in a national first aid competition aimed at celebrating young people’s life saving skills.

The St John Ambulance National Schools’ First Aid Competition encourages school teams from across the country to battle it out against their peers by carrying out first aid in a variety of scenarios on live ‘casualties’.

A London team beat off competition from schools across the country to win last year’s senior finals of the contest. Pupils from Drayton Manor High School in Ealing outshone hundreds of other competitors when they demonstrated their skills in handling various emergencies including an unconscious casualty, severe bleeds and burns.

The contest – held in qualifying rounds followed by a national final at Drayton Manor theme park, Tamworth, on 25 June 2014 – tests young people’s first aid knowledge, communication skills and teamwork.

Teams of four plus a reserve can enter junior and senior categories and take part in the London regional rounds at the Scout Park Activity Centre in Bounds Green on 21 and 22 May. Junior teams are pupils aged 7-11 and senior teams are pupils aged up to 15.

To enter, the teams must have completed the relevant courses on the charity’s online teaching resource Teach the Difference, and submit their on-line applications by 15 January 2014.

Kasia Kwiatkowska,Training and Community Projects Coordinator for London St John Ambulance said: ‘First aid is not only a vital life skill, it also improves self-esteem, develops confidence and fosters a sense of belonging, which is why we’re encouraging more schools to give their students a chance to learn it.

’The competition is a great way for young people to strengthen their knowledge while having fun. We use acting casualties who demonstrate a variety of everyday medical emergencies so it’s an ideal way for pupils to test their skills?’

St John Ambulance teaches valuable life skills to young people by training them in first aid, in schools and through its youth schemes. In 2012 it trained more than 93,000 young people in valuable life skills.

For more information and to enter the competitions or to contact your nearest St John Ambulance schools trainer, telephone 08700 10 49 50 or visit www.teachthedifference.org.uk

 

 

 

November 28, 2013