Four trailblazing students from �ԹϺ��� Grange Academy in Wakefield are making national history this month by becoming the first ever qualified Restart-a-Heart Ambassadors in the United Kingdom.

An extension of the Restart a Heart Day initiative, which has seen Yorkshire Ambulance Service staff and volunteers teach CPR to over 311,432 students during more than 1,397 school visits over the last 12 years, Year 10 students Anya Topham, Celine Maina, Ava Kinsey, and Ifra Iqbal, Year 12, have successfully undertaken a Yorkshire Ambulance Service training programme to secure their qualification. Unlike typical first-aid courses, this qualification officially empowers and certifies these students to teach life-saving CPR to others.

The ambitious journey began with the students completing eight intensive independent learning modules under the guidance of school staff. Following this, Yorkshire Ambulance Service delivered a unique six-week training programme. This term, the students put their skills to the test, teaching CPR to Year 7 students. To fully qualify, they had to meet strict criteria while being rigorously observed by Julekha Motara, Assistant Principal at the school, who leads the initiative. By completing the programme, the students have also secured a Basic Life Support Instructor (BLSi) qualification.

Beyond the classroom, the newly qualified ambassadors have already extended their skills to the wider public. On Saturday, 27th June, they joined forces with Yorkshire Ambulance Service to support and deliver vital life-saving training directly to the local community, and are planning to deliver more sessions this summer as part of the �ԹϺ��� ‘Out There’ community action programme.

To celebrate this UK-first, a special recognition event was held on Tuesday, 14th July, at �ԹϺ��� Grange Academy. Representatives from �ԹϺ��� and Yorkshire Ambulance Service attended, alongside Deputy Lord-Lieutenant Helen Mack BEM DL, official representative of King Charles III.

Julekha Motara said:

“Becoming the first qualified Restart-a-Heart Ambassadors in the UK is an outstanding achievement, and we are incredibly proud of our students' dedication and resilience. They have not only mastered life-saving skills for themselves, but are now fully equipped to pass that knowledge on, helping to build a generation of young people with the confidence to act in an emergency.

“We were deeply honoured that Deputy Lord-Lieutenant Helen Mack BEM DL joined us to present the certificates and mark this proud UK-first milestone. Her presence truly elevated the celebration for our students.

“Our gratitude also goes to Yorkshire Ambulance Service for their vital partnership in making this pioneering initiative possible. It has been a pleasure to work with Jason Carlyon MBE, and we look forward to this partnership growing as we move into the new school year, ready to train our next cohort of life-saving ambassadors.”

Jason Carlyon MBE, Community Engagement Manager at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, added:

“It has been a real pleasure to work with pupils at �ԹϺ��� Grange Academy and roll out the Restart-a-Heart Ambassador Programme. The invaluable life-saving skills this cohort has acquired can now be shared more widely, and I know they will have the confidence to teach others both in school and within their local community. They have become role models and are now inspiring their peers.”

The initiative aims to dramatically improve cardiac arrest survival rates, as a patient’s chance of survival can double if bystander CPR is started as soon as possible after a collapse.