The charity, founded in memory of James Alexander Osborne with the aim to reduce the rate of sudden cardiac death among young people, ran a workshop which taught our aspiring theatre makers the invaluable skills of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillator usage.
Learn more about Jay’s AimJay’s Aim co-founder Dan Osbourne began the session by showing the group how to identify signs of a heart attack and cardiac arrest. Someone experiencing a heart attack is often conscious and will likely feel chest pains, whereas someone experiencing cardiac arrest may fall unconscious without warning.
Our Young Company then took turns practicing chest compressions and rescue breaths on specially built mannequins. These activities ensured that they are prepared to act when it matters most.
“I’ve learnt how to save someone’s life if they ever do have a cardiac event. It’s really good knowledge that everyone should know.” – NYC participant
Dan focused the second part of the session on how to locate and use public access defibrillators (PADs). Young Company member Thea volunteered to act as a member of the public who Dan asks to find and operate a PAD. Their practical demonstration showed the simplicity and effectiveness of using defibrillators to restore heart rhythms during cardiac emergencies.
Whether on stage or in everyday life, these skills will serve our young performers and wider community throughout their lives.
“If you can give somebody CPR, you can massively increase their chances of survival. If you can get a defibrillator in there as well, within in five you can increase their chance of survival by over 70%. Every minute that passes after the five-minute mark, that chance of survival goes down by 10%. So, it’s crucial that we get defibrillators everywhere and train as many people as possible so that they are confident to act in an emergency.” – Dan Osbourne, Co-Founder of Jay’s Aim
The workshop followed Jay’s Aim raising funds to install a public access defibrillator outside our Exeter city centre Barnfield Theatre’s front entrance. This defibrillator is dedicated in memory to Leslie Balcombe and John Balcombe.
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