VOLUNTEERS for Ilkley's Heartstart life-saving project were put through their paces at the Craiglands Hotel by Paramedics from the West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service last week.

Training officer Duncan Beattie explained the basics of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) before leading volunteers in a practice session using plastic patients.

Mr Beattie explained the importance of the project: "Generally speaking we will get to most collapses within eight minutes, but if someone collapses from a cardiac arrest - if they do not get oxygen within four minutes - parts of the brain begin to die."

Mr Beattie and his team of four then went on to show the volunteers techniques which do not only save lives but also save the quality of life for unfortunate victims.

More than 50 volunteers in Ilkley have come forward since the announcement of the 'Heartstart - Ilkley in Wharfedale' initiative last month.

Organiser Philip Chinque, of Ilkley Rotary Club, said there had been a very positive response.

Heartstart UK is a project run by the charity, the British Heart Foundation, to promote and develop emergency life support training. Its aim is to encourage people to receive basic emergency instruction and to provide practical assistance to make this possible in the community.

The first instruction sessions took place last week and it is hoped that around 100 people will be trained by Christmas.

Mr Chinque said: "We will be writing to local schools to offer training to children and their teachers. But there are other gaps and it is clear that some are more enthusiastic than others."

He said he would like to hear from any companies who missed the original mailshot, particularly from those who cater for the public outside normal shopping hours such as pubs, hotels and restaurants.

Anyone wishing further information should write, enclosing a self-addressed and stamped A5 size envelope, to The Heartstart Co-ordinator, 18 Parish Ghyll Drive, Ilkley, LS29 9ND.

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