Suffolk Army Cadet Force (ACF) has secured a charitable grant to fund new resuscitation dolls and other training gear that will help cadets learn essential first aid skills.
First aid lessons are a valuable part of the training syllabus for the ACF and the new equipment will help cadets to hone their skills. The possible benefits that training cannot be overestimated given Suffolk Army Cadets’ strong track record of offering potentially life-saving assistance when members of the public are in need.
The grant of £963 comes from the ASDA Foundation, an independent charity set up by the retail giant that allocates funds provided by ASDA itself, its staff and customers to good causes in the areas around stores. One of the charity’s workers is pictured below presenting the cheque to the ACF, who have put some of the equipment being funded on display.
East Anglia RFCA’s own deputy chief executive helped Suffolk ACF put together its bid for Foundation cash, which is paying not only for cardio-pulmonary rescusitation (CPR) dolls but also first aid kits and “anti-choking trainer vests” worn by three of the cadets above.
These vests allow the safe practice of both back slaps and the Heimlich manoeuvre on a training partner, simulating methods of clearing someone’s windpipe if their airway is blocked. The images below show instructors demonstrating the slapping technique and then cadets giving it a try, secure in the knowledge they won’t harm their assistant!
The ASDA Foundation supports community and grassroots groups to improve their neighbourhoods and the quality of local life. Now, with these young people ready to practise CPR and preventing choking, the wider Suffolk community should benefit from having more skilled first-aiders out and about.
