A SCHOOL in Bolton has become the first in Greater Manchester to be recognised for ensuring every pupil is a lifesaver.

Rivington and Blackrod School in Horwich has been awarded the Gold CardiacSmart Award for ensuring young people at the school are taught emergency lifesaving skills.

The school was presented with the accolade, the highest in the award scheme, by the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust at a special ceremony.

To get the award the school had to show it was committed to training all its staff in Heartstart, having an Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) on site as well as promoting the importance of lifesaving skills in the local community.

Headteacher Tony Purcell said: “We are delighted to have achieved the Gold CardiacSmart Award as it confirms our dedication to keeping people safe at Rivington and Blackrod High School.

“We are committed to ensuring that all of our students develop skills to enable them to deal with a life-threatening emergency.

“All of our students undertake the HeartStart programme — a programme which teaches people Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and emergency life-saving skills.

“With the help of the Rotary Club of Horwich, we also have three defibrillators at Rivington and Blackrod High School and staff are trained to use them in the event of an emergency.

“This makes Rivington and Blackrod High School a safer place to study, work and visit.”

The CardiacSmart initiative is aimed at giving the public wider access to AEDs, which can dramatically improve the chances of survival of someone who had suffered a cardiac arrest and to train more individuals in basic life support skills.

Statistics show about 30,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest outside of hospital each year, and with every minute a person does not receive treatment their chance of survival decreases by 10 per cent.

Defibrillators give an electric shock through the chest wall and help to restore a normal heartbeat and the speed of response, CPR and defibrillation within the first few minutes improves the patient’s chance of survival and recovery.

The awards were launched in February of this year and this month Bolton Mountain Rescue Team was honoured with a silver award alongside Rivington and Blackrod High School.

Earlier this year, The Bolton News launched the Every School Leaver a Lifesaver campaign by joining forces with Bolton West MP Julie Hilling to promote the teaching of emergency lifesaving skills.