A hard-hitting advert aims to shock parents into learning first aid after it was revealed that more than half of UK mums and dads (55 of us don't view knowing first aid as important, but 62) of parents have needed first aid assistance while on holiday – and nearly half of those parents did not have the skills needed to help their children themselves.
To help raise awareness of the need for first aid knowledge – and encourage us to learn basic first aid skills – St John Ambulance has launched a new campaign, Save the Boy, which includes a hard-hitting advert from the people behind the John Lewis ads.
Commenting on the findings, Sue Killen, St John Ambulance Chief Executive, said: "It's devastating to find that over half of parents wouldn't have the first aid confidence to save their own child's life.
"And it's not just parents. Over two-fifths (41%) of people admit that it would take something as severe as the death of a loved one to make them learn first aid.
"Unfortunately, our volunteers can't be everywhere so we've developed an online experience to help more people be the difference between a life lost and a life saved. We don't want anyone to be helpless in a first aid situation especially when learning life saving skills is so simple."
The advert was created by Dougal Wilson, the man behind some of TV's most iconic commercials including the John Lewis Christmas adverts, after he was placed in a situation where he did not have first aid skills.
A young boy asked him for assistance when his grandfather suffered a suspected cardiac arrest at a London Underground station, but Mr Wilson was unable to help.
He said: "When I was asked to get involved in this campaign I was already committed to another project but it proved hard for me to turn down.
"Someone needed my help but I didn't know first aid, and I will always feel I could have done more.
"First aid is so simple to learn and I hope this film encourages more people to be the difference between life and death."
You can watch the powerful Save the Boy advert above, and log on to Sja.org.uk/savetheboy to learn first aid.
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