More than 230 people came together on Restart a Heart Day to learn lifesaving CPR, as South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) shone a spotlight on the gender gap in bystander CPR.
On Friday, 16 October, SECAmb held its first-ever CPRathon at ASDA Chatham Superstore in Kent, bringing together colleagues, partner agencies and members of the public for 12 continuous hours of chest compressions.
The event aimed to equip more people with the skills and confidence to save a life in an emergency, while raising awareness of the barriers that can make women less likely to receive bystander CPR when they experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Research from St John Ambulance found that 23 per cent of people said they would be less likely to perform CPR on a woman experiencing a cardiac arrest in a public place than on a man. Concerns about touching a woman’s chest, causing injury or being accused of inappropriate behaviour can contribute to people’s hesitation to act.
SECAmb used the CPRathon to challenge these misconceptions, demonstrate CPR techniques and encourage people to act confidently when someone suffers a cardiac arrest, regardless of their gender. The event also highlighted the importance of inclusive CPR training, including the use of training manikins that represent women’s bodies, helping people build confidence in delivering lifesaving care to everyone.
Throughout the 12-hour event, participants took turns performing chest compressions on three manikins, clocking up a total of 36 hours of CPR practice. The team smashed its target of 23 hours, with the figure chosen to represent the 23 per cent of people who said they would be less likely to perform CPR on a woman.
SECAmb Community Resuscitation Officer, Kiran, said: “We are committed to ensuring as many people in our communities have the skills and confidence to act in an emergency and the CPRathon was a great opportunity to do this.
“We also wanted to start conversations about the gender gap in bystander CPR and help people understand that everyone deserves the same chance of survival. By breaking down barriers and building confidence, we can help more people feel prepared to step forward in an emergency.”
The event was supported by SECAmb colleagues, volunteers, partner agencies and members of the public, all coming together for a shared lifesaving purpose. Local MP for Chatham and Aylesford, Tristan Osborne, also attended to show his support for the initiative and its focus on improving CPR awareness and encouraging more people to learn lifesaving skills.
Victoria Cole, Programme Manager and part of SECAmb’s Gender Equality Network (GEN) steering group, who took part in the event, said: “It was a fantastic initiative to be involved in and made feel like you're part of something bigger. Everyone came together with the same goal of helping people learn how to save a life, while raising awareness of an issue that really matters.”
Visitors also had the opportunity to get a glimpse into life on the frontline with a glimpse inside an ambulance vehicle giving them an insight into the world of frontline staff.
Alongside teaching lifesaving skills and raising awareness, the CPRathon raised funds for SECAmb Charity, with double Olympic champion Lizzy Yarnold OBE also backing the campaign with a generous donation. The funds will support further training and community initiatives, including the purchase of breast attachments for CPR training manikins. These resources will help people practise CPR on more representative models, build confidence and better prepare them to provide lifesaving care to women.
The CPRathon formed part of SECAmb’s wider activities to mark Restart a Heart Day, with colleagues also delivering CPR training to members of the public across the region, including in Eastbourne. Together, these activities highlighted the importance of taking lifesaving skills into local communities and empowering more people to act to help us save more lives.
A huge thank you to all colleagues, volunteers, partner agencies and Asda who helped make the event possible.