Spark are working to bring lifesaving first aid training to people living in hostels within Blackburn with Darwen.
The first aid sessions are aimed at providing lifesaving skills to people dealing with addiction, as they are often living in environments where medical emergencies, such as overdoses or accidents, can occur.
Hanif Ali, Team Leader at Spark, explained: “Giving people the knowledge and confidence to act quickly can save lives. It empowers service users, giving them a sense of responsibility, confidence, and the ability to support their peers in moments of crisis”.
The in-hostel first aid sessions will be delivered by British Red Cross, who have over 40 years’ experience of delivering practical, hands-on first aid courses.
Hanif continued: “Working with the British Red Cross has been very positive. They have been helpful, flexible, and supportive in tailoring the training to suit the needs of our service users”.
Hanif and the Spark team aim to roll the training out to every hostel in Blackburn with Darwen, with two sessions already confirmed over the coming months.
The idea emerged after seeing the positive impact of the first aid training taking place at Horizon, Blackpool’s drug and alcohol support service.
Hanif added: “The idea emerged during our monthly partnership meetings between Horizon (James Wood), Red Rose Recovery (Sim Parrot), and Spark (Hanif Ali). After seeing the positive impact of the training in Blackpool, we explored how the course could reach more people in need”.
This led to the idea of delivering the training directly within local hostels in Blackburn, so that residents, who may face additional barriers to accessing training, could benefit.
According to British Red Cross, only 4 in 10 people in the UK would feel confident helping someone in a first aid emergency – showing the important of educating more people on the emergency essentials.
Hanif concluded: “Seeing service users actively engage with the training and express how valuable it is to them has been inspiring. Knowing that these sessions are not only building skills but also potentially saving lives makes the work feel deeply meaningful”.
Figures surrounding substance misuse related deaths are increasing within the Blackburn area, showing that teaching vital first aid is essential to saving more lives.
To find out more about Spark’s service, please visit sparkbwd.org.uk
