Justin Tomlinson MP, Julian Huppert MP, Fabrice Muamba and Julie Hilling MP
Justin Tomlinson, MP for North Swindon, joined former footballer Fabrice Muamba on the steps of 10 Downing Street to help deliver a life-saving petition through the country’s most famous front door.
Last year, with backing from Justin, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and Resuscitation Council UK (RCUK) launched a campaign calling for emergency life support (ELS) skills to become a mandatory part of the school curriculum in England.
Since then, over 100,000 people have signed the campaign petition to ensure every child leaves school knowing how to save a life. Fabrice Muamba is now also backing the campaign after the former Bolton Wanderers footballer collapsed unexpectedly during an FA Cup match and received vital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Fabrice went to Downing Street with Justin on Monday and helped deliver the petition in the hope the new Minister of State for Schools, Elizabeth Truss, will ensure every child leaving secondary school in Swindon is equipped with the skills to save a life.
Justin Tomlinson MP said: “It was an honour to visit Downing Street with Fabrice Muamba and help deliver such an important petition. He has become an inspiration to so many and his support for this campaign will be invaluable.
“In Swindon we are ahead of the curve, with the excellent local SALVE project working to teach our local young people vital skills lifesaving skills. If we can achieve this in every secondary school, lives will undoubtedly be saved in the future. In Swindon we are teaching the next generation one of the most important lessons they will ever learn and turning them into life-savers. It is vital that every young person across the country gets the chance to learn these skills.
“More than 100,000 people have joined Fabrice in voicing their support and I hope the new Minister of State for Schools is listening.”
When someone is having a heart attack, is seriously bleeding, choking, is unconscious or in cardiac arrest, knowing what to do to help keep them alive until professional help arrives can give their chances of survival a significant boost. The skills you need for this are called ELS skills.
CPR taught in schools as part of ELS might double a casualty’s chances of survival from a cardiac arrest.
Support the campaign at bhf.org.uk/lifesaving.
Watch the video of the petition hand-in at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZGdsRZX4uY
Walking up Downing Street to hand in the petition