Equipping Duke of Edinburgh Students with Life-Saving Skills

Community CPR & First Aid Workshop | Boldon School | South Tyneside

Helping Young People Build Skills for Life

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is about much more than completing challenges and achieving an award.

It encourages young people to develop confidence, resilience, teamwork and the practical skills they’ll carry with them throughout their lives.

At First Aid Saves Lives CIC, we believe first aid is one of the most valuable life skills anyone can learn.

That’s why we were delighted to deliver a Community CPR and First Aid Workshop for students taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at Boldon School.

The workshop gave students practical experience of dealing with emergencies, performing CPR and understanding how simple actions can make an enormous difference while waiting for professional help to arrive.

Most importantly, it gave them the confidence to step forward rather than stand back.

📋 Workshop at a Glance

Learning Skills That Last a Lifetime

Many of the students had never experienced first aid training before.

Like many young people, they had seen CPR on television but weren’t sure what they would actually do if somebody collapsed in front of them.

Throughout the workshop, we broke those barriers down by explaining the emergency response process in a simple, practical and engaging way.

Rather than overwhelming learners with information, we focused on building confidence through understanding and hands-on experience.

By the end of the session, students understood that saving a life doesn’t require medical training.

It starts with recognising an emergency and being prepared to act.

Practical Learning That Keeps Everyone Engaged

The workshop was designed to be highly interactive.

Students didn’t simply sit and listen.

They took part.

They asked questions.

They practised.

They worked together.

Throughout the session, learners had the opportunity to:

✅ Recognise a cardiac arrest

✅ Contact the emergency services

✅ Perform effective CPR

✅ Understand how public access defibrillators work

✅ Learn why every minute matters

Working through practical scenarios helped learners understand not only what to do, but why those actions are so important.

Building Confidence Through Practice

One of the biggest changes we saw during the workshop was confidence.

At first, some students were understandably hesitant.

Many worried about getting something wrong or not knowing what to do.

As they practised CPR on the training manikins and worked through realistic scenarios, those worries gradually disappeared.

By the end of the workshop, students were encouraging one another, discussing emergency situations and confidently demonstrating the techniques they had learned.

Watching that growth in confidence is one of the most rewarding aspects of delivering workshops for young people.

Understanding the Importance of Defibrillators

For many students, this was also their first opportunity to see and use a training defibrillator.

They quickly discovered that modern AEDs are designed for everyone.

Participants learned:

• How an AED works.
• Why it gives spoken instructions.
• Why it only delivers a shock when required.
• How CPR and defibrillation work together.
• Why using an AED is much less frightening than many people imagine.

Removing the fear surrounding defibrillators is one of the most important parts of every CPR workshop we deliver.

Preparing Young People for the Future

Life-saving skills don’t just help in school.

They stay with people for the rest of their lives.

Whether students go on to university, employment, apprenticeships or voluntary work, the confidence to respond during an emergency is a skill they can carry with them wherever life takes them.

Many employers value first aid knowledge.

Families benefit from it.

Communities become stronger because of it.

By introducing first aid at a young age, we’re helping develop confident young adults who are prepared to help when it matters most.

Working Together With Schools

Schools play an incredibly important role in preparing young people for adulthood.

Academic achievement is essential, but so too are the practical skills that help students navigate everyday life safely and confidently.

We’re proud to work alongside schools across the North East, delivering engaging first aid workshops that complement personal development programmes such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

Together, we’re helping students leave school with knowledge that could one day save a life.

Thank You To Boldon School

We’d like to thank the staff and students at Boldon School for making us feel so welcome.

The enthusiasm, participation and willingness to get involved made the workshop an enjoyable experience from start to finish.

It was inspiring to see so many young people embracing the opportunity to learn skills that have the potential to make a real difference in the future.

Could Your School Benefit from a First Aid Workshop?

We regularly deliver workshops for:

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools
• Colleges
• Sixth Forms
• Duke of Edinburgh Groups
• Scouts
• Guides
• Cadet Forces
• Youth Organisations

Our workshops are practical, engaging and tailored to the age and needs of the learners, helping young people develop confidence alongside life-saving skills.

We’re proud of the feedback we receive from schools and community organisations across the North East. You can read our latest Google reviews here:

First Aid Saves Lives CIC

If you’d like to arrange a workshop for your school or youth organisation, contact us through our website or call 0191 716 6601. We’d be delighted to discuss how we can support your students.

❤️ Community Impact

📍 Location: Boldon School, South Tyneside

👥 Audience: Duke of Edinburgh Students

🤝 Partner Organisation: Boldon School

❤️ Workshop Focus: Community CPR & First Aid Awareness

🎯 Workshop Outcome: Students gained the confidence to recognise a cardiac arrest, contact the emergency services, perform CPR and understand how to use a public access defibrillator.

🌱 Long-Term Impact: By introducing life-saving skills at a young age, we’re helping develop confident, responsible young people who are prepared to help family members, friends or members of the public in an emergency.

💙 Our Mission: Inspiring the next generation with practical life-saving skills that build confidence, resilience and stronger communities.

⭐ Interested in bringing a first aid workshop to your school or youth organisation?

We work with schools, colleges, youth groups and organisations across the North East. Contact us through our website or call 0191 716 6601 to discuss a workshop tailored to your learners.

About First Aid Saves Lives CIC

First Aid Saves Lives CIC is a Community Interest Company dedicated to improving access to life-saving education throughout the North East.

Working alongside schools, charities, youth organisations, community groups and employers, we deliver engaging, practical and inclusive first aid workshops that empower people with the confidence to respond in an emergency.

We believe first aid should be introduced as early as possible, giving young people the confidence to make a positive difference throughout their lives.

We’re proud of the impact our workshops have across the communities we serve. If you’ve attended one of our sessions, we’d love to hear your feedback. You can read what others have said or leave us a Google review here:

First Aid Saves Lives CIC

If your school, youth group or organisation would like to organise a first aid workshop, contact us through our website or call 0191 716 6601. We’d love to help inspire the next generation with life-saving skills.

Because confidence to save a life is one of the greatest gifts we can give a young person.