According to the Resuscitation Council UK for every minute that someone’s in cardiac arrest without receiving CPR and having a defibrillator used on them, their chance of survival decreases by 10 per cent.

This is one of the reasons that St John Ambulance Cymru, Wales’ leading first aid charity, has committed to ensuring that people across Wales know how to use the lifesaving equipment.

St John Ambulance Cymru annual Defibruary campaign aims to enhance the health and wellbeing of communities in Wales by encouraging people across the country to ‘Learn, Locate, Donate’ and become more defibrillator aware this February

The NHS Wales Health Collaborative says: “Every year in Wales, more than 6,000 people will have a sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting and approximately 80 per cent of those will happen in the home.

"Currently only 30 - 40 per cent of people who suffer a cardiac arrest in the community will receive bystander CPR.

"A person’s chances of surviving a cardiac arrest in the community decreases by up to 10 per cent with every passing minute; the longer the delay to the resuscitation, the worse the outcome."

St John Ambulance Cymru has committed to ensuring that people across Wales are equipped with the knowledge and the confidence to use a defibrillator if necessary. The charity are offering free online courses and face to face demonstrations to ensure that everybody in Wales learns the skills needed to help someone in a cardiac arrest.

A cardiac arrest, is when the heart stops beating suddenly. The lack of blood flow to the brain and other organs can cause a person to lose consciousness, become disabled, or even die if not treated immediately.

Darren Murray, Head of Community Operations, said: “Statistics show that 80 per cent of cardiac arrests happen at home. Statistically you are more likely to have to carry out CPR on a family member than on a stranger, so Defibruary is the perfect opportunity to learn skills that could mean the difference between life and death for someone you love.

"As Wales’s leading first aid charity we are committed to breaking down the stigma surrounding defibrillators, and helping people become more confident to use one in an emergency.”

You are able to complete the St John Ambulance Cymru free Public Access Defib Awareness Course in English or Welsh. Upon successful completion, you’ll receive a St John Ambulance Cymru certificate.

As well as their face to face one-day Automated External Defibrillator Training course, they also offer a range of training courses, including fire marshalling, health and safety, mental health and their three-day first aid at work qualification. You can find out more about their courses and book a place here.

Profits from the sale of their training courses and supplies help fund their charitable work, including community and schools’ first aid training, teaching children and young people the skills they need to save a life. When choosing to train with St John Ambulance Cymru you'll get exceptional service whilst supporting your community.