MORE than 500 schools across Wales have taken part in Restart a Heart Live! Supported by Wales Air Ambulance,

The UK-wide free livestream brought CPR training and AED familiarisation directly into schools and communities on Thursday, October 1, 2026.

This is the first year Wales Air Ambulance has collaborated with Restart a Heart Live. As part of the programme, viewers were given a unique insight into what goes on behind the scenes at the pan-Wales emergency service’s air base in Dafen. A five-minute video featuring Critical Care Practitioner Derwyn Jones was shown during the live stream to help children understand who Wales Ambulance are and what they do.

Dr Sue Barnes, Chief Executive at Wales Air Ambulance, said:

“Restart a Heart Live! is hugely impactful, reaching thousands of young people across the UK every year. It has been wonderful to be part of this year's event, and we look forward to developing our partnership in the months and years ahead.”

The Wales Air Ambulance Charity’s mascot Huw Hems travelled to host nation Scotland and took part in activities throughout the day.

“We have received some wonderful feedback from children who joined in with the sessions,” Dr Barnes added. “It is important to make learning both engaging and enjoyable. By giving young people an opportunity to see our aircraft and equipment, they can better understand how our crews deliver lifesaving care across Wales.”

Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and, if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury.

The service is delivered through a unique partnership between the third and public sectors.

The Wales Air Ambulance Charity relies on public donations to raise the £13 million needed each year to keep its helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road.

The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the Charity’s vehicles.

This advanced critical care includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.

As a pan-Wales service, its dedicated crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency lifesaving care.

Restart a Heart Live is funded by several partners, including Save a Life Cymru, part of the Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust. Save a Life Cymru was established to improve survival following out-of-hospital cardiac arrests across Wales and is supported by health and emergency service organisations, including Wales Air Ambulance.

This year’s event reached more than 100,000 viewers, marking significant progress towards its goal of training one million people by 2027.

Julie Starling, Clinical Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Programme Manager for Save a Life Cymru, travelled to Scotland to co-present the live event. She said: “Restart a Heart Live! continues to grow year on year, and it is inspiring to see so many schools, communities and partner organisations coming together to learn lifesaving skills across Wales and the UK.

“Every person who learns CPR could one day help save a life. We are incredibly grateful for the support shown across Wales and look forward to building on this success in 2027 as we continue working towards our goal of creating a nation of lifesavers.”

You can still learn CPR by watching the recorded live stream or download resources from the Restart a Heart Live! website www.restartaheart.live. Research shows that early CPR and the use of a defibrillator can at least double a person’s chance of survival, and Wales Air Ambulance hopes that by empowering the public to perform CPR in those vital initial minutes will help save more lives.

Mathew Bowen, Community Coordinator for Save a Life Cymru, supported live links to Wales and played a pivotal role in schools' engagement with Restart a Heart Live.

He said: “There was a fantastic atmosphere throughout the day, with pupils fully engaged in the training and eager to learn.

“It was encouraging to see so many young people taking part and gaining confidence in skills that could make a real difference in an emergency.

“Events like this show just how enthusiastic the next generation is about helping others and saving lives."