TS TIGER, Leicester Sea Cadets have teamed up with The Joe Humphries Memorial Trust (JHMT) to provide local young people and volunteers with the opportunity to complete key defibrillator (AED) familiarisation training as part of their first aid courses.

Leicester Sea Cadets is a youth charity based in Belgrave for those aged 9 – 18 years of age. It's managed and supported by adult volunteers who dedicate their time to fulfilling the aim of the organisation, that is, to give young people the best possible head start in life through fun and nautical adventure. Instructors support cadets to gain qualifications on and off the water, and acquire valuable life skills such as catering, leadership and first aid.

Making first aid training and equipment accessible for everyone is so important and helps prepare people for situations where their knowledge might mean the difference between life and death. Various levels of training are offered to cadets and adults from the Call Push Rescue award to the Level 3 First Aid at Work qualification – there's something for all ages.

Commanding Officer SLt (SCC) Sam Clayton RNR said "We are so grateful to the JHMT for their generous grant of £300 which has enabled the purchase of 7 x mini training AEDs. They have enabled us to meet the required ratio of equipment for the number of learners we can instruct at a time. These will be used to support our cadets and adult volunteers with their first aid training by enabling them to practise attaching the AED pads to CPR mannequins and following the voice commands to perform effective CPR."

The JHMT was set up in memory of Leicester teenager Joe Humphries (14 years old), who suddenly collapsed and died in October 2012 while out jogging near his family home in Rothley, Leicestershire. Joe was a victim of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) – a group of lethal heart diseases which can cause sudden cardiac death in young people. The JHMT provides free CPR training, helps to fund community defibrillators and campaigns for better understanding of SADS, as well as running the Inspire Awards small grants scheme to support young people.

Dr Mike Ferguson, JHMT Trustee said: "A cardiac arrest is when the heart stops beating. It occurs suddenly, has no warning signs and is painless. Without a beating heart a person will die within 10 minutes. Every week in the UK a witnessed cardiac arrest happens every 20 minutes and 12 people under the age of 35 die from unsuspected heart disease. The mortality rate in the UK is a dreadful 90%. A rapid response will give a collapsed person a greater chance of living and cut the mortality rate in half. It is impressive that the Leicester Sea Cadets are offering life-saving skills: CPR buys invaluable time to get hold of and use a defibrillator.

To find out more about the work of Leicester Sea Cadets go to: www.sea-cadets.org/leicester & The Joe Humphries Memorial Trust go to: www.jhmt.org.uk