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12th August 2024

Mini First Aid Sheffield launches an appeal to businesses, sport clubs, philanthropists and community groups to champion local school children.

Mini First Aid School Champions are individuals and organisations that are pledging support for primary school children to access life saving first aid and healthy minds training.

In 2020 the government made first aid training for children in schools compulsory. And yet, schools in more deprived areas have limited access to the funds and expertise needed to deliver the professional first aid training that can help save lives.

School children in less affluent areas of Sheffield are already disproportionately disadvantaged when it comes to health and wellbeing and having less access to people and funding, only serves to widen this gap. According to Local Authority Pupil Premium figures, one in three primary school-aged children in South Yorkshire are classed as disadvantaged.

Mini First Aid Sheffield delivers specialist training to children, parents and carers in schools and community settings in Rotherham, Barnsley and Sheffield. Beyond the obvious benefits of learning life saving first aid skills, the Mini First Aid team provides a bespoke Healthy Minds course to school children, giving them the understanding and tools needed to better navigate and respond to mental health challenges.

Mini First Aid Sheffield Director, Kelly Wooller, said:

“All children should have the opportunity to access life saving skills and to learn how to understand and look after their own mental health and wellbeing. The gap between those that can and those that can’t access this support is stark. By launching the Mini First Aid School Champion campaign we are calling on businesses, sports clubs and other groups to pledge their support to a school or a class. For every class and school pledge made, we will deliver an additional Mini-First-Aid class to reach even more children with essential skills for life. Together, we can reach more children than ever before, investing in their long term health and wellbeing, whilst also inspiring the next generation of healthcare professionals.

“My background is not dissimilar to many of the children we are trying to reach. After leaving school with no qualifications, it wasn't until I did a first aid course in my late teens, that I found my calling and finally found a career that I could aspire to. I've since achieved a Masters in Advanced Clinical Practice  and have more than two decades of medical experience serving in the British Army, Yorkshire Ambulance Service and GP Practices. ”

As well as the community and social value achieved by pledging a package of support to a school, Mini First Aid School Champions can access a range of partnership benefits for themselves and their businesses. Kelly is in talks with a number of city stakeholder about supporting the campaign and has already received a pledge from Sheffield Wednesday football Club. Interested parties should contact Kelly Wooller for full details of the campaign and the opportunities it presents. kellyandmatt@minifirstaid.co.uk. You can read the supporter pack in full here: https://bit.ly/MFASCsupporterguide

Kate Ball started Mini First Aid in Leeds in 2014 following the death of her brother and no-one knowing how to perform CPR. Demand grew and Kate started franchising the business nationally in 2015. In 2021, BBC Dragon’s Den star Sara Davies became a business investor and advisor. Kelly and Matt Wooller joined the team with Mini First Aid Sheffield in 2022. Mini First Aid is now a multi-award-winning organisation, with a strong brand, customer following and over 70 franchises nationwide. Kelly and Matt want to harness the strength of the network and its reach, to benefit school children in South Yorkshire through Mini First Aid School Champions.

Mini First Aid Sheffield has five trainers who are all qualified NHS professionals committed to delivering inclusive first aid and healthy minds training in a fun and accessible way.

Read more here