Saving Lives at School – National Highways funds CPR programme

Life-saving equipment and education has been rolled out in 30 schools as part of a trial, thanks to community funding provided by the team behind the A417 Missing Link scheme. 

As well as providing money for local projects, National Highways’ social value fund is part of a wider commitment to give back to local areas with an aim of providing invaluable lifesaving education and equipment to 571 schools across Gloucester, Bath and North East Somerset, and Bristol.  

National Highways provided £10,000 to Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC), who partnered with Bristol design agency, Hook Studio, to create the ‘Junior Hearts’ CPR teaching programme, with a training film, infographic pillowcases and digital teaching resources that could be repurposed year on year to educate thousands of children.

The learning programme, called Junior Hearts, is currently in its trial phase with early signs of success.

It’s hoped that National Highways and GWAAC can reduce the number of avoidable deaths by rolling the programme out across GWAAC’s region of Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and parts of Wiltshire.

There are over 3000 cardiac arrests in the South West of England every year, with an out-of-hospital survival rate of less than one in 10.

Will Barker, Assistant Project Manager on the A417 Missing Link Project, said: “We’ve always built social value into every aspect of our network. From economic prosperity to preserving natural habitats, we know how important it is that we make a positive difference to the communities and the environment where we work.  

“That’s why we’re delighted to be able to offer this genuinely life-saving education to schools that can have such a profound impact on the local community and those who need it.

“It’s also a privilege to be able to support Great Western Air Ambulance Charity, which provides such critical lifesaving services.”

Kate Amor, Public Education Coordinator at GWAAC, said, “We’re thrilled to be working in partnership once again with National Highways. Their valued support is helping us provide Year six teachers with a comprehensive lesson plan and supporting information, so they can equip students with effective skills in CPR and how to use a defibrillator.

“The programme complements the Heartstarters sessions we already run in secondary schools. We know that the more opportunities a child has to learn these vital lifesaving skills, the more confident they will feel using them in an emergency.

“It’s been wonderful watching the children at Whitminster C of E Primary School having fun learning CPR on their Junior Hearts pillowcases. We’d like to thank Hook Media also, for their incredible support with the pillowcase designs and more."

The funding and resources have been warmly welcomed by the schools taking part in the trial, providing National Highways an opportunity to save lives, not only through road infrastructure improvements on the A417, but through improving CPR provisions.

Alison Parry-Jones, Headteacher at Whitminster Endowed C of E Primary, said: “We are delighted to be chosen by GWAAC to be a flagship school for their Junior Hearts Programme. First aid is such a vital life skill for anyone.

“Being part of the programme means we are giving the children the confidence to perform CPR in a safe environment. You never know when you’ll be needed to perform CPR.

“If we can give our children the tools to set them up to help one person, then we as a school have done our job.”

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) rapidly dispatches Critical Care Doctors and Specialist Paramedics to the scene of the most serious 999 calls. They fly or drive, taking the skills and equipment of a hospital Emergency Department to the patient.

GWAAC saves lives across Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and parts of Wiltshire.

GWAAC is called to more cardiac arrests than any other type of incident. In 2024, the crew responded to 501 people in cardiac arrest across its region, including 136 cardiac arrest patients in Gloucestershire - the highest number out of all the areas it serves.

There are 571 primary schools across GWAAC’s region, and it is hoped they will all have the chance to participate as the programme is rolled out further.

The A417 Missing Link project has developed a strong partnership with GWAAC since the Social Value defibrillator project at the beginning of the fund, which saw four new defibrillators installed along the route.

Now other organisations are being encouraged to get in touch to find out more about how the fund can help them, whether they could benefit from a financial award, materials or volunteers to help complete a project.  People can email a417missinglinkatairballoon@nationalhighways.co.uk for more details. 

Applications are welcome around the four themes of National Highways’ social value framework:  

• Economic prosperity 

• Improving the environment 

• Community wellbeing; and 

• Equality, diversity and inclusion