09/09/2026
Dear Editor,
Save a Life September, St John Ambulance’s annual campaign to encourage more people to learn simple first aid skills, is now under way. This year, we are putting the power of first aid into more people’s hands by making life-saving knowledge easier to access in communities across the North East.
A survey we commissioned this summer found that 38% of people in the North East do not recognise that choking can become life-threatening within minutes without first aid. It also found that less than only 40% of respondents say they know how to stop someone choking by giving back blows, 42% know how to give an abdominal thrust, formerly called the Heimlich manoeuvre, and one quarter of people have choked to the point of panic because they felt they could not breathe.
Throughout September, St John Ambulance volunteers will deliver free first aid demonstrations in public locations and at St John buildings, helping people learn what to do if someone is choking, as well as how to respond to cardiac arrest and severe bleeding. And for anyone unable to attend an in-person event, we have a full range of free first aid videos and guidance on our website.
I would encourage readers to search for Save a Life September on the St John Ambulance website (sja.org.uk) to look for their nearest free volunteer-delivered first aid demonstration. If there are no sessions running you can attend, community groups are able to request their own volunteer lead session. Learning a few simple skills could help someone act when it matters most.
Yours sincerely,
Jordan Davison, Community Education Partner, St John Ambulance
