COMMUNITY group, Bradford 4 Better launched their district wide campaign to teach as many people as possible Basic life Support (BLS) training on Saturday October 16 at Doha Mosque.

The campaign which started on national Restart a Heart Day, in line with the British Heart foundation is going to be a monthly event across the Bradford District.

The aim of the campaign, Bradford Lifesavers, is to provide people in the Bradford district with BLS training, for free.

Dr Sohail who is a GP and has been teaching BLS for a number of years said: “It was really encouraging to see the amount of people that turned up and showed enthusiasm and interest for this.

“We wanted to keep this one small, as I was the only one teaching but we got a turnout of over 30 people, and I was surprised to see so many young people.”

The first event was a success and as the message of Dr Sohail’s Bradford Lifesavers campaign spreads, more people and organisations are looking to take on its services.

Recent statistics from the British Heart Foundation show that over a third of adults in the UK have never taken any life support training.

In 45 percent of cases where CPR is carried out by a bystander, the person having a cardiac arrest survives, highlighting the importance of this skill.

Dr Sohail said: “This isn’t just an extra thing you learn; this is something that should be taught at a young age and in schools to help save lives.”

Dr Sohail is calling out for volunteers to support him in carrying out this campaign as all health care professionals are equipped with the level of training required to teach the public.

“Bradford 4 Better can't do this alone, after the first event some people came forward to help but we need more.

“Everybody knows somebody who is a health care professional, and we need their help with this project.

“Learning BLS is bigger than us, it’s saving lives and it’s vital.”

Schools, churches and other organisations have been in touch with Dr Sohail since Saturday, and he is looking for support from across the Bradford district to help him in what could be a world first.

Further information can be found on the Bradford Lifesavers website.