STUDENTS at Parkside and Holy Family schools have been taught how to save people’s lives.

They were among about 20,000 youngsters across Yorkshire, who learned cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as part of Restart A Heart Day.

Volunteer paramedics visited Parkside in Cullingworth and Holy Family in Keighley to work with dozens of students.

Each youngster who learned the life-saving technique was given a certificate and a wristband.

About 90 schools hosted CPR sessions during the event, which was held earlier this month.

Across the county, the day was organised by the Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS), whose personnel took part voluntarily, and the Parkside and Holy Family sessions were taught by volunteers from the St John Ambulance.

Parkside spokesman, Majella McColgan, said students were taken out of PE lessons to learn CPR.

She added: “The whole of year nine were trained during the morning, sports leaders from year ten and quarter of students from year eight.

“They were shown a video and used mannequins.”

MPs were invited to attend training sessions at their local schools, as part of the YAS’s bid to have CPR put on the school curriculum.

Parkside welcomed David Pearson, the Deputy Lord Lieutenant for West Yorkshire, who went along in ceremonial dress. Pulse Radio talked to some of the students and broadcast live from the school.

A YAS spokesman said it was great to know schools are getting so involved in the project.

He said: “They are going above and beyond what the aim of the day is – to equip as many people as possible with the skills to save a life.”

The YAS initiative was part of European Restart A Heart Day, described as the biggest event of its kind ever seen in the world.

More than 400 volunteers took part in Yorkshire, including ambulance staff, Community First Responders and St John Ambulance helpers, plus staff from several hospitals and fire and rescue services.

A YAS spokesman said more than 30,000 people suffered cardiac arrests outside of hospital in the UK every year.

He added: “If this happens in front of a bystander, who starts CPR immediately before the arrival of the ambulance, the patient’s chances of survival double."

YAS held its first mass CPR training event last year as part of the European day, when more than 11,000 schoolchildren at 50 schools took part.

This year’s event was sponsored by the YAS Charitable Fund and was run in partnership with the Resuscitation Council and British Heart Foundation.

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