There are more than 40,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK each year, with a survival rate of less than 1 in 10. Once in cardiac arrest, for every minute that passes a person loses a further 10% chance of survival.

Our Saving Lives Together campaign with the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) aims to increase public access to defibrillators and give people the confidence to do potentially lifesaving CPR chest compressions.

A defibrillator is a device used to give an electric shock to help restart a patients heart when they are in cardiac arrest. When someone has a cardiac arrest, the heart stops and blood is no longer being pumped around their body. The longer they go without emergency life-support, the harder it is to restart their heart.

Across the South West we are working with everyone from children and schools, to shoppers and church congregations, to help them learn how to do lifesaving CPR and to use a defibrillator. We need your support to fund the resources we need to deliver these vital awareness and training sessions, and to increase access to defibrillators.

Early access to CPR and defibrillation results in more people receiving a life-saving shock as quickly as possible, giving them the best possible chance of survival.

Your donation will provide lifesaving CPR awareness sessions and access to defibrillators.