Restart A Heart Day 2026

More than 200 people got hands on with free CPR and AED sessions at Beau Sejour as part of Restart A Heart Day .

Paramedics from Ambulance and Rescue were on hand to support the community outreach initative led by the lifeguards at the leisure centre on 16th October. The event was part of a national day organised by the Resuscitation Council UK in cooperation with ambulance services across the country and organisations including the Royal Life Saving Society.

Jim Cathcart, Paramedic and Communications Officer at Ambulance and Rescue said: “Recognising when someone has suffered a cardiac arrest and having the confidence to do CPR is vital because every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces the chance of survival by 10%.”

According to research from the Resuscitation Council, 37% of people surveyed said they wouldn’t feel very confident they could help someone having a cardiac arrest, while 24% said they wouldn’t be at all confident. Only 11% of people surveyed said they felt totally confident about using a defibrillator correctly. 15% of people surveyed think only trained medical professionals are allowed to use a defibrillator. 

Jim Cathcart added: “There have been a number of cases in Guernsey in recent years where people have been saved thanks to early recognition, early calling of 999, early CPR and early defibrillation. The availability of public access defibrillators in green boxes around the island, the use of volunteer community first responders and police co-responders, together with telephone CPR instruction from the Joint Emergency Services Control Centre (JESCC) and increased public awareness of CPR have all contributed to improving the chances of someone surviving a cardiac arrest.”

In addition to supporting the public demonstration sessions at Beau Sejour, the ambulance service also produced a social media video featuring

video filmed at various locations around the island, highlighting that a cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere. The video shares the message that knowing how to do CPR can save a life.

The short film features paramedics, firefighters from Guernsey Fire & Rescue and the Airport Fire Service, lifeguards at Beau Sejour, students from Blanchelande College, security staff at the harbour and St John cadets, as well as first responders in Alderney.