First aid charity’s Defibruary campaign teaches almost 5000 people lifesaving skills

St John Ambulance Cymru is celebrating the success of its 2024 Defibruary campaign, with almost 5000 more people in Wales now equipped with lifesaving CPR and defibrillator skills.

The campaign, which runs through February each year, aims to promote defibrillator and CPR knowledge, with the hope that more people in the community would feel comfortable to act should someone near them suffer a cardiac arrest.

The campaign launched on the 1st of February at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Llangynwyd in Maesteg and taught first aid to almost 700 students and staff members across the school in just one day.

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Over the course of the campaign, the charity’s volunteers ran sessions at their Divisional buildings across the country and public demonstrations were held at both St David’s Shopping Centre and the Red Dragon Centre in Cardiff.

At these events, members of the public were keen to find out more about how they can protect their loved ones in an emergency, and the St John Ambulance Cymru team were happy to share advice and demonstrate invaluable first aid techniques.

This year’s campaign was also featured on ITV Cymru Wales News, Radio Cymru’s ‘Bore Cothi’ as well as ‘Newyddion Ni’ and ‘Prynhawn Da’ on S4C. St John Ambulance Cymru Volunteers also held a live video Q&A session on Facebook, answering questions from members of the public, busting myths about defibrillators and providing demonstrations on how to use them.

In Wales, the survival rate following an out of hospital cardiac arrest is less than 5%. St John Ambulance Cymru are determined to change that and make sure there are more lifesavers on the streets of Wales with campaigns like Defibruary.

“You don’t need professional training to use a defibrillator” said Darren Murray, Head of Community Operations at St John Ambulance Cymru, “But we want more people to feel confident in using one.”

“We hope that our free CPR and defibrillator awareness sessions will give people the confidence to act quickly in a cardiac emergency. In these situations, every second counts, so it’s vital that people are familiar with these potentially lifesaving skills.”

“It’s great to see the general public so engaged with the campaign this year. We’d like to thank everyone who has supported the campaign and are delighted that the people of Wales are keen to learn more about how they can keep their loved ones safe.”

During the campaign, the charity has also been fundraising for new public access defibrillators and other vital pieces of first aid equipment for communities across Wales. This work will be continuing throughout the year, to further protect communities and keep people safe.

St John Ambulance Cymru offer free first aid demonstrations to schools and community groups all year round. If you’d like to book one of these sessions for your school or club please email communitytraining@sjacymru.org.uk, call 0345 678 5646 or visit https://www.sjacymru.org.uk to find out more.

another first aid demonstration for the publicpublic first aid demonstration


Elusen cymorth cyntaf yn dysgu sgiliau achub bywyd i bron i 5,000 o bobl yn ystod ymgyrch 'Defibruary'

Mae St John Ambulance Cymru yn dathlu llwyddiant ei ymgyrch Defibruary 2024, gyda bron i 5,000 o bobl yng Nghymru wedi dysgu sgiliau CPR a diffibriliwr, a allai helpu i achub bywydau.

Nod yr ymgyrch, sy’n rhedeg drwy gydol mis Chwefror bob blwyddyn, yw hybu gwybodaeth am ddiffibrilwyr a CPR, gyda’r gobaith y byddai mwy o bobl yn y gymuned yn teimlo’n gyfforddus i weithredu pe bai rhywun yn agos atynt yn dioddef ataliad y galon.

Lansiwyd yr ymgyrch ar y 1af o Chwefror yn Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Llangynwyd ym Maesteg gan ddysgu cymorth cyntaf i bron i 700 o fyfyrwyr ac aelodau staff ar draws yr ysgol ar un diwrnod yn unig.

Yn ystod yr ymgyrch, cynhaliodd gwirfoddolwyr yr elusen sesiynau yn eu hadeiladau Rhanbarthol ledled y wlad, a chynhaliwyd arddangosiadau cyhoeddus yng Nghanolfan Siopa Dewi Sant a Chanolfan y Ddraig Goch yng Nghaerdydd.

Yn y digwyddiadau hyn, roedd aelodau’r cyhoedd yn awyddus i ddarganfod mwy am sut y gallant amddiffyn eu hanwyliaid mewn argyfwng, ac roedd tîm St John Ambulance Cymru yn hapus i rannu cyngor ac arddangos technegau cymorth cyntaf amhrisiadwy.

Cafodd ymgyrch eleni hefyd sylw ar Newyddion ITV Cymru Wales, ‘Bore Cothi’ ar Radio Cymru yn ogystal â ‘Newyddion Ni’ a ‘Prynhawn Da’ ar S4C. Cynhaliodd Gwirfoddolwyr St John Ambulance Cymru hefyd sesiwn holi ac ateb fideo byw ar Facebook, gan ateb cwestiynau gan aelodau’r cyhoedd, chwalu mythau am ddiffibrilwyr, yn ogystal â darparu arddangosiadau ar sut i’w defnyddio.

Yng Nghymru mae'r gyfradd goroesi yn dilyn ataliad y galon y tu allan i'r ysbyty yn llai na 5%. Mae St John Ambulance Cymru yn benderfynol o newid hynny trwy gynnal ymgyrchoedd fel Defibruary, i sicrhau bod mwy o achubwyr bywyd ar strydoedd Cymru.

“Nid oes angen hyfforddiant proffesiynol arnoch i ddefnyddio diffibriliwr” meddai Darren Murray, Pennaeth Gweithrediadau Cymunedol St John Ambulance Cymru, “Ond rydym am i fwy o bobl deimlo’n hyderus wrth ddefnyddio un.”

“Rydym yn gobeithio y bydd ein sesiynau ymwybyddiaeth CPR a diffibriliwr rhad ac am ddim yn rhoi’r hyder i bobl weithredu’n gyflym mewn argyfwng cardiaidd. Yn y sefyllfaoedd hyn, mae pob eiliad yn cyfrif, felly mae’n hanfodol bod pobl yn gyfarwydd â’r sgiliau hyn a allai achub bywydau.”

“Mae’n wych gweld y cyhoedd yn cymryd cymaint o ran yn yr ymgyrch eleni. Hoffem ddiolch i bawb sydd wedi cefnogi’r ymgyrch ac rydym wrth ein bodd bod pobl Cymru yn awyddus i ddysgu mwy am sut y gallant gadw eu hanwyliaid yn ddiogel.”

Yn ystod yr ymgyrch, mae’r elusen hefyd wedi bod yn codi arian ar gyfer diffibrilwyr cyhoeddus newydd yn ogystal â darnau hanfodol o offer cymorth cyntaf i gymunedau ledled Cymru. Bydd y gwaith hwn yn parhau drwy gydol y flwyddyn, i amddiffyn cymunedau ymhellach a chadw pobl yn ddiogel.

Mae St John Ambulance Cymru yn cynnig arddangosiadau cymorth cyntaf am ddim i ysgolion a grwpiau cymunedol trwy gydol y flwyddyn. Os hoffech chi archebu sesiwn ar gyfer eich ysgol neu glwb e-bostiwch communitytraining@sjacymru.org.uk, ffoniwch 0345 678 5646 neu ewch i https://www.sjacymru.org.uk i ddarganfod mwy.

 

Published March 12th 2024

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