COMMUNITIES across Cornwall are being urged to learn vital lifesaving skills, as the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) rolls out free CPR and defibrillator training sessions.

The initiative aims to bring hands-on training directly into towns, villages and neighbourhoods, giving local people the confidence to act in an emergency, whether at home, work or out in the community.

Cardiac arrest can strike anyone, anywhere, and survival rates remain low. In the UK, only around one in ten people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

However, when CPR is started quickly and a defibrillator is used within the first few minutes, survival rates can rise dramatically to as high as 70 per cent. Despite this, more than a third of adults have never received any CPR training.

SWASFT hopes to change that by making training more accessible, particularly in rural and coastal areas like Cornwall where emergency response times can be longer. The sessions are delivered by trained Community Training Volunteers and are designed to be practical, interactive and easy to follow. Participants will learn how to recognise cardiac arrest, perform CPR effectively and use a defibrillator safely.

Hannah Butler, the defibrillator project officer at SWASFT, said those first few minutes in an emergency are critical. “By giving more people the skills and confidence to step in, we can dramatically improve someone’s chance of survival,” she said. “Our volunteers are passionate about helping communities feel prepared and ready to act.”

The sessions form part of a wider effort to improve survival rates and ensure more communities have access to essential first aid knowledge. While the training is free, attendees are invited to make a voluntary donation to the South Western Ambulance Charity, helping expand the programme further.

Community groups interested in hosting a session can find out more and submit a booking request using the SWASFT website.