Restart A Heart week is an annual initiative led by the Resuscitation Council UK, in partnership with other charities and ambulance services. In Guernsey Restart A Heart week is supported by the Guernsey Cardiac Action Group, the Emergency Ambulance Service, St John Training Services and St John Ambulance volunteers.

Steve Ford, Head of Emergency Planning and Support at the Emergency Ambulance Service said they want to ensure members of the public know what to do too.

“In Guernsey we have been working hard to improve cardiac arrest survival rates. The Cardiac Action Group has provided basic training for thousands of islanders, we have a network of public access defibrillators, we have St John Community First Responders and a team of co-responders, and the 999 call takers at JESCC give CPR advice over the phone – but there is still more to do and the more people who have the skills and the confidence to do CPR and use an AED the better.” 

Pictured: A CPR training session took place at this year's West Show.

According to the Resuscitation Council UK when someone has a cardiac arrest, performing immediate CPR can help double their chance of survival in some cases. Around 80% of out-of hospital cardiac arrest occur in the home, highlighting the potential benefit of family members being trained in CPR. Defibrillation within 3–5 minutes can produce survival rates as high as 50%–70%. The chance of surviving a cardiac arrest is tripled when an AED is available via a public-access defibrillation programme.

The match against Uxbridge will kick off at 13:00 with opportunities for fans to get their hands on the equipment to have a go themselves before the match, at half time and after the full-time whistle.

St John Communications Officer Jim Cathcart said: “Anyone can be affected by a sudden cardiac arrest at any time and for every minute without intervention, the person’s chances of survival reduce significantly.

"CPR is a simple but life-saving skill and there are people in Guernsey today who would not be here if someone had not known what to do. Everyone in our community, has a role to play in the chain of survival, whether it’s by calling 999, doing chest compressions, locating a defibrillator, or by telling others what to do.

"Restart a Heart Day is about giving people the skills and confidence to help deliver simple but life-saving treatment.”

Guernsey FC has given free admission to the match to all St John volunteers and Emergency Ambulance Service crews to thank them for their service to the community.

GFC director Nic Legg said the players have already had their training and wants fans to as well.

Pictured: Footes Lane will host CPR training sessions as well as GFC this weekend.

“CPR is something everyone should know. No-one wants to find themselves in that situation, but knowing what to do in an emergency can be the difference between a life saved and a life lost.

"Last year we had CPR and AED lessons with St John Training Services as part of our pre-season training, so we are delighted to be working with St John again this year and are grateful to the St John volunteers who have given their time to pass on their skills to our stewards, players and fans.

"We are also fortunate to have our own portable defibrillator pitch-side, purchased from St John after our training, thanks to generous support of three local companies. There is also a public access defibrillator at Footes Lane, unveiled by former Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba back in 2013."