Restart A Heart 2026
27 September 2026
St John Ambulance & Rescue Service, the St John Guernsey charity and St John Training Services are working together to teach islanders life-saving skills with free CPR lessons during Restart A Heart Week.
Restart A Heart is a national event led by the Resuscitation Council which aims to increase the number of people surviving out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.
This year St John is encouraging people from all sections of the community to take advantage of the free training. Heather Langlois, Chief Executive Officer of St John said: “We have been part of Restart A Heart since its started and have trained thousands of people through these community sessions and through the first aid courses offered by St John Training Services, however we are aware that there are still sections of our community, including people from the international community and different cultural backgrounds who we have not fully reached. A cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, so everyone should know CPR, which is why we are inviting people from across our community to take part in Restart A Heart.”
A cardiac arrest is a medical emergency and without immediate intervention the person will die, but knowing how to do CPR and use an AED – and having the confidence to do it – can significantly improve a person’s chances of survival.
Free public sessions are taking place across the week at the St John training centre in the Rohais. A full list of dates and times are listed below. Places can be booked online via Eventbrite by searching “CPR Guernsey” or Restart A Heart – Guernsey Tickets, Multiple dates | Eventbrite
Dave Welbourne from St John Training Services said: “Without intervention someone having a cardiac arrest will quickly die, but early CPR can double the chances of survival. When someone collapses and stops breathing normally, it is important to act quickly, call 999, perform CPR and use a defibrillator, if one is available, but recent research shows that only 14% of people feel confident to use an AED and 42% of people lack the confidence or skills to perform CPR.”
DAY | TIME | LOCATION |
Monday 12th | 10:00 | St John Training Hall, Rohais |
12:00 | St John Training Hall, Rohais | |
14:00 | St John Training Hall, Rohais | |
18:30 | St John Training Hall, Rohais | |
Tuesday 13th
| 10:00 | St John Training Hall, Rohais |
11:00 | St John Training Hall, Rohais | |
14:00 | St John Training Hall, Rohais | |
Wednesday 14th | 19:00 | St John Training Hall, Rohais |
Thursday 15th | 15:00 | St John Training Hall, Rohais |
Friday 16th
| 09:00-17:00 | Beau Sejour |
John Atkins Chief Ambulance Officer added: “We know that early recognition of a cardiac arrest, early calling of 999 and early CPR can make a difference – and there have been several cases in Guernsey and Alderney in recent years of people who are alive today thanks to CPR and use of an AED. These are skills for life and I would encourage everyone in our community to learn these skills, because one day it could help save a life”
In addition to the free public events, St John is also working with a number of local community groups to provide free demonstrations during Restart A Heart Week. Events are also taking place in Alderney and further details of these events will be published soon.
More details about Restart A Heart Week, including national statistics, are available here Restart a Heart | Resuscitation Council UK
To find out more about other first aid courses available in Guernsey click on St John Training Services
