Mother and Baby Group benefit from free first aid class

Every year, more than half a million children under five need to go to hospital after having an accident at home. A further 67,000 are injured or killed simply playing in their gardens. 83% of parents questioned by Mother & Baby magazine admitted that they wouldn’t remember what to do in an emergency.

St John Ambulance Cymru are committed to changing that. For over 100 years Wales’s leading first aid charity has been committed to saving lives and enhancing the health and well-being in the communities of Wales, and as a result we offer free basic Child & Infant First Aid Taster Sessions to teach parents and carers the important skills  that could save a child’s life.

Recently Ryan Cawsey, one of our community trainers, went along to Holy Trinity Church in Penrhyndeudraeth to deliver a free basic first aid demonstration session to the Arch Noa Parent, Carer, Baby and Toddler group.

Angela Swann from Arch Noa Parent, Carer, Baby and Toddler group said, “I would just like to say how much we gained as a group, and as individuals, through the training offered by Ryan.

It is never easy working with children around but the challenge did not deter him from offering all the advice and information to help parents feel more confident when dealing with issues.”

Ryan taught the group basic first aid skills specific to children and infants, such as child and infant CPR and choking. The course is ideal for parents, carers, siblings, grandparents or anyone who comes into contact with children and wants to know the basics.

Ryan said, “The child and infant first aid course is very important because children aren’t able to see danger in the same way we can as adults, this can put them in situations that we might have to react to at a moment’s notice.

Completing the Child and Infant First Aid awareness session gives parents and carers the confidence and practical skills needed in those situations and the confidence to react at those critical times. We hope we never have to use first aid, but it’s important to have those skills in case we do.”

We offer these two hour demonstration courses free to community groups, disadvantaged groups such as the homeless and unpaid carers, as well as community groups such as church groups and mother and toddler groups.

All St John Ambulance Cymru trainers are qualified teachers or assessors holding a minimum Level 3 Certificate in Learning & Development. Our trainers are carefully recruited from relevant backgrounds to ensure they have real life experience. We have

trainers from the police, army, education and medical backgrounds.

You can find out more information about the Child & Infant First Aid Awareness course, and book a session on our website https://training.stjohnwales.org.uk/course/BATA