Campaign by St John Ambulance to increase public confidence in responding to cardiac arrests by using CPR techniques and defibrillators

Despite the widening public provision of defibrillators, the Barnet branch of St John Ambulance is keen to do more to increase people’s confidence in responding to cardiac arrests by embarking on cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation treatment.

To help improve survival rates, members staged a Restart a Heart event at The Spires shopping centre where St John Ambulance nurse Emma Ball (above) gave a demonstration.

Currently less than one in 12 survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and the aim of the Barnet first aiders is to encourage community support and interest in first aid and to recognise that defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival.

Emergency responder Winnie Bacon (above right) of the Barnet St John community engagement team helped to organise the event so that volunteers could train people in key first aid skills.

“We want to familiarise people with defibrillators and so that one day, perhaps, they can save a life by having the confidence to step in if there is an emergency.”

Ruth McQuillin (left) insisted that the instructions inside defibrillators – and there is one on the wall at the entrance to The Spires – are clear and simple.

“There are diagrams showing where pads should be applied to the chest and a defibrillator gives spoken instructions on what to do.”

Alongside the demonstration was an exhibition showing the history of the St John Ambulance branch in Barnet which has a membership of 60 volunteers.

The display was compiled by archivist Stephen Krause (left), who joined the branch in Barnet 47 years ago.

He is a member of the St John Fellowship and chairman of the St John Ambulance Historical Society.

Barnet’s branch dates back to 1903 and, says Mr Krause, is one of the oldest in the borough.

“Alfred Mosley, an entrepreneur, sponsored a hospital in South Africa during the Boer War and he was so impressed by the dedication and skill of the St John volunteers that he decided to pay for a branch to be set up in Barnet.

“At the time there were lots of accidents in workplaces, especially on the railways and in mining, which St John volunteers attended.

“The Barnet branch has always had a high profile, and we’ve become very well known.

“For 38 years we provided first aiders at Barnet Football Club matches at the old Underhill stadium.”

Winnie Bacon joined the Barnet branch in December 2020 to help with covid injections after St John Ambulance secured a contract with the NHS.

“Today you can see St John Ambulance volunteers at all sorts of events, such as the London Marathon and here in Barnet at events like East Barnet Festival and the Barnet Christmas Festival.”