SCHOOLS across Hampshire are being urged to take part in the country’s biggest free first aid lesson.

The Big First Aid Lesson is a St John Ambulance educational event that aims to equip 50,000 young people with the skills to act in an emergency.

The campaign is backed by television presenter Claudia Winkleman who will host the lesson that will be broadcast live on-line in June.

It comes as Chancellor George Osborne yesterday announced that £1m will be made available for the life-saving devices.

Schools are being asked to register for the free, one hour, online first aid session streamed live into classrooms across the country.

The lesson will combine first aid training and 999 scenarios with real life stories, as well as opportunities for pupils to join the conversation.

It is aimed at students aged between seven and 16.

The only equipment needed is an internet connection and a screen such as an interactive whiteboard.

This year the event will focus on first aid skills that might be needed over the summer holidays and pupils will learn how to confidently deal with head injuries, asthma attacks and anaphylactic shock, which can happen to people who have allergies.

Last year over 32,000 young people tuned into St John Ambulance’s first Big First Aid Lesson – and this year the charity wants even more to take part.

Claudia Winkleman, a mother of three, said: “The Big First Aid Lesson is a fantastic and engaging way of teaching students the skills they may need to help keep a classmate or a family member safe in an emergency while they’re out on the playground or enjoying their summer holidays.

“All schools should make teaching young people basic first aid a top priority.”

The campaign comes after Southampton North and Romsey MP Caroline Nokes took part in a parliamentary debate on the subject of teaching life-saving skills in schools.

The Government is being urged to make teaching life saving skills part of the national curriculum.

Daily Echo:

Part of the debate focused around the need for more defibrillators in schools – a campaign that was launched by the Daily Echo after the life of Sam Mangoro (pictured above) , a Mountbatten School pupil, was saved thanks to quick-thinking staff, who used a defibrillator to restart his heart when he collapsed during a PE lesson.

For more information about the Big First Aid Lesson or to register go to www.sja.org.uk/bigfirstaid.