Heart Beat Club grants making vital skills accessible to all
Data shows that in 80 percent of childhood drownings in WA a parent, carer or direct relative will be the first person on the scene and applying appropriate CPR skills may be the difference between life and death. Royal Life Saving WA's Heart Beat Club grants were established five years ago, thanks to funding from the WA Department of Health, under the Keep Watch toddler drowning prevention program, to ensure all West Australians have an opportunity to learn vital first aid and CPR skills.
The Heart Beat Club community education course is specifically designed for parents and carers of children under the age of five. The three-hour session covers child and infant CPR and first aid for common childhood injuries such as choking, poisoning and burns.
The aim of the grants is to provide free courses for high-risk parents and carers – including those who are Aboriginal, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse, Low socio-economic status and Adolescent parents - with the goal of increasing their capacity to respond in an emergency and ultimately reduce the number of fatal drownings and serious drowning-related injuries in children under five years in our state.
In 2018/19, a total of 416 parents and carers of children under five years attended the various courses. 31 courses were delivered to organisations who applied for the grants, with a majority of these happening in the metro area, along with four in the South-West.
The courses have continued into 2019-20, with 10 courses delivered so far this financial year. One of these courses was recently held in Ellenbrook, through CLAN Midland, with 14 participants receiving vital first aid and CPR training from Royal Life Saving WA trainer Cathie Calleja.
Royal Life Saving WA hopes to see more regional parents have an opportunity to take part in this training in the coming year and is working to engage more trainers in regional areas to make this a reality. Applications for Heart Beat Club grants are now open, so if you know of an organisation that could benefit from a Heart Beat Club course please complete the application form at the link below.
