Pop legends S Club learn CPR with pupils at London school
Pop group S Club visited Clapton Girls’ Academy in Hackney as part of the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) Heart Month launch, to take part in a lifesaving session of CPR training with pupils.
The band paid tribute to the school’s roll out of Classroom RevivR, the BHF’s free tool to help students learn lifesaving CPR, by joining pupils to master the skills needed to help save a life.
The session involved members of the hit 90s pop act learning CPR using cushions and a mobile phone before taking questions from inquisitive students and teachers.
Since rolling out Classroom RevivR in October, pupils at Clapton Girls’ Academy are already benefiting from the skills taught. A group of students witnessed a passerby collapse on their way to school and had the confidence to step in during an emergency situation to assess and help.
The launch of Classroom RevivR has been made possible by the incredible fundraising support from our charity partner, Royal Mail who have funded the programme.
Newest BHF ambassadors
The BHF is also delighted to announce that S Club are our newest ambassadors, supporting the charity with its lifesaving work. S Club have been supporting the BHF since last year in memory of their much-loved band member Paul Cattermole. The singer died in April 2023 at the age of 46, from an underlying heart condition.
Jon Lee of S Club said: “It was an amazing experience to join the pupils at Clapton Girls and see their enthusiasm in learning a lifesaving skill. It had a big impact on us as a group and it’s great to see a school and its pupils so committed to protecting the hearts of everyone in their community.
“We’ve been supporting BHF as we know firsthand the heartbreaking impact of heart and circulatory diseases and are delighted to continue supporting the BHF’s lifesaving work as their newest ambassadors.”
The band’s hit song “Don’t Stop Movin’” also has the perfect beat to learn CPR to. Learning CPR can give you the confidence to potentially save a life in the event you witness a cardiac arrest – the ultimate medical emergency.
Equip pupils with lifesaving skills
Classroom RevivR is our new game-changing interactive tool that makes it easy for pupils to learn CPR and how to use a defibrillator in the classroom. It’s PSHE-accredited, meets curriculum standards and can be taught in one easy lesson plan – minimising teachers’ workload.
There is no need for an external trainer or lots of specialist equipment and Classroom RevivR has been designed with busy teachers in mind. All pupils need is a mobile device and something to perform compressions on, like a cushion. And the best part is – it’s completely free to use. Teachers will run the class as pupils follow the simple steps, and in 45 minutes, they’ll have created CPR superheroes.
Working together, young people learn the importance of CPR, how to recognise a cardiac arrest, what to expect when calling 999, how to perform CPR and how to use a defibrillator.
There are over 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year in the UK. Tragically, less than one in ten people survive, a statistic the BHF is determined to improve by giving everyone the opportunity to learn CPR.
Performing quick CPR and defibrillation in the event of a cardiac arrest can be the difference between life and death.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive of the British Heart Foundation, said: “We’re just thrilled to have joined S Club in visiting Clapton Girls’ Academy in Hackney this week to celebrate the school’s roll out of our Classroom RevivR CPR training. Learning CPR can give you the confidence to help save a life in the ultimate medical emergency – it can be the difference between life and death.
“It’s also a privilege to announce S Club are becoming our newest BHF ambassadors, helping us reach for the stars in our mission to create a world free from the fear of heart and circulatory diseases, saving and improving countless lives.”
Emma Leenders, Social Science Faculty Lead at Clapton Girls’ Academy, said: “It was a fantastic morning and we were delighted to be joined by S Club and the BHF as we continue to teach our pupils the skill of CPR. We were thrilled to talk with S Club about our school’s commitment to the heart health of our community, as well as their support and work with the BHF.”
Charity Partnership Manager at Royal Mail, Jenni Hammond, said:
“It was a pleasure to join the pupils at Clapton Girls’ Academy and hear firsthand about the impact that Classroom RevivR CPR training has had. It’s fantastic to see programmes like Classroom RevivR, that we support through the fundraising efforts of our colleagues, and how they make our communities safer. This will equip the lifesavers of tomorrow with vital training to give everyone the very best chance of survival.”
To support the British Heart Foundation this Heart Month and find out more about RevivR, visit bhf.org.uk/heartmonth. To try RevivR, go to bhf.org.uk/revivr
