Community Learns Life-Saving Skills at Knife Angel on Restart a Heart Day
2025-10-17
Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire – To mark Restart a Heart Day on 16th October, local charities, emergency services and volunteers pulled off an inspiring community event to teach residents CPR and other emergency life-saving skills. A powerful backdrop was provided by the iconic Knife Angel sculpture, which is temporarily located in Howard Centre Gardens.
Organised by Hearts for Herts Charity in collaboration with local police, fire, and ambulance services, public health teams, and volunteers, the event offered free, hands-on training designed to give people the confidence to act in an emergency.
Throughout the evening, attendees of all ages practised CPR, learnt how to use a defibrillator, and received guidance on responding to choking, heart attacks, and severe bleeding. The session was organised to support the national Restart a Heart Day initiative, led by Resuscitation Council UK. It aims to increase survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests by helping more people learn CPR.
As part of the training, participants could familiarise themselves with the Mindray BeneHeart C1A AED – the defibrillator model installed in Hearts for Herts’ distinctive public-access cabinets across the county. Supplied by Mindray UK, the AEDs play a key role in the charity’s mission to ensure life-saving equipment is available whenever and wherever it’s needed in Hertfordshire.
Justin Honey-Jones
Founder of Hearts for Herts Charity
It was truly inspiring to see so many people from Welwyn Garden City and across Hertfordshire come together for Restart a Heart Day. Our volunteers, emergency services, and local residents have all played a vital part in equipping people with life-saving skills. Every heart matters, and we’ll continue to provide inclusive education and champion public access to life-saving equipment across the county.
Kaushika Khoosal
Regional Sales Manager, Mindray UK
Mindray is proud to support community initiatives like this one led by Hearts for Herts Charity, which bring together technology, training, and teamwork to make a real difference. It’s fantastic to see residents so engaged and proactive about learning how to save lives.
Founded in 2017, Hearts for Herts Charity is a volunteer-run, paramedic-led organisation that delivers free CPR and defibrillator training through its Heartstart Lifesaver programme. The charity aims to roll out over 130 publicly accessible defibrillators and 350 bleed control kits across Hertfordshire by February 2026, all funded through community donations and local partnerships.
Residents are encouraged to continue learning these essential skills by attending future Hearts for Herts events. To find out more, visit www.heartsforherts.co.uk
