A LEISURE centre in Wellington has offered free CPR training in honour of Restart a Heart day.

Wellington Sports Centre hosted free sessions on Thursday, October 16 (as the paper went to press), which are led by a qualified first aid trainer.

A number of time slots were available between 10am and 4.30pm, with each focussing on how to carry out CPR and use a defibrillator when someone is having a cardiac arrest.

Sessions covered how to perform CPR on an adult, a child and even a baby.

Alongside these sessions, an additional evening session will also be held on Thursday, October 23, at 7pm. Those wanting to attend can simply turn up and drop in to the sessions.

Gary Beasley, general manager at Everyone Active, said: “It’s incredibly important that everyone has access to basic CPR skills. A medical emergency could happen at any moment in life, so being prepared is crucial.

“That’s why we’re passionate about offering these free training sessions and welcoming people from the local community to help them learn this lifesaving skill.”

Managing to perform immediate CPR can more than double someone’s chances of surviving a cardiac arrest when outside of a hospital.

Led by the Resuscitation Council UK, Restart a Heart Day is an annual initiative that aims to equip the nation with the knowledge and skills to save a life.

Founded in 1983, they look to ensure that survival rates for cardiac arrests improve both inside and outside of hospitals.

Resuscitation Council UK do this by looking to spread CPR education and by encouraging healthcare workers and the general public to learn resuscitation skills through initiatives like Restart a Heart day.

Wellington Sports Centre is run by Everyone Active in partnership with Somerset Council.