Watford FC’s Community Sports and Education Trust (the Trust) partnered with Safety Train for a potentially life-saving workshop as part of Premier League Inspires. Secondary school pupils from Chessbrook PRU attended the Trust’s community hub in North Watford, Meriden Community Centre, to learn about the importance of being able to perform basic first aid and feeling confident in their ability to save a life.
Founded and delivered by serving firefighter and Watford FC fan James Thornton, Safety Train is a service offered to groups in the local community to educate the general public on crucial life-saving skills that can be performed by anyone. James is committed to raising the standard of first aid training in schools, workplaces, and community settings, striving to move beyond a “tick-box exercise” and make a meaningful, lasting impact.
Premier League Inspires is a personal development programme, funded by the Premier League through the Premier League Foundation. The programme uses the power of football to inspire young people aged 11-to-18 to develop the personal skills and positive attitudes needed to succeed in life. Premier League Inspires is delivered locally in Hertfordshire and Harrow by the Trust.
During the session, participants learnt about the ‘Dr ABC’ principle (Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, and Circulation) and were able to put this into practice through a variety of interactive workshops. The participants were able to learn how to stop a serious bleed, how to perform CPR, how to stop someone choking, and what to do if someone has incurred a burn.
The session was highly engaging and gave the participants opportunities to ask lots of questions. As a result, the participants came away from the session feeling they had a competent understanding of the topics covered and felt confident that they would know what to do if they witnessed someone who needed medical assistance.
Youth Engagement Officer at Watford FC’s Community Sports and Education Trust, Jessica Doran, said:
“Developing young people and keeping our communities safe are hugely important to us at the Trust. Bringing in people, such as James, is a valuable part of our delivery of the Premier League Inspires project and helps create engaging sessions that equip our young people with real advice and skills needed as they navigate their lives. Thank you, Safety Train!”
Schools wanting to take part in Premier League Inspires and experience development opportunities such as this can contact Jessica by emailing jessica.doran@watfordfc.com or calling 07850 503439. More information can be found by clicking HERE.