Shrewsbury’s Swim With Style, is one of the first swim schools in the country to deliver a new first aid programme that has been specially created for children of school age.

The Junior Medic programme, developed by STA, is a comprehensive course aimed at children aged 8 years and above, and covers such issues as what to do if someone has sprained or broken a bone, has an asthma attack, heart attack or suffers cuts and grazes.

Its sister company Save With Style runs the courses as part of its First Aid After School Club programme at primary and secondary schools.

Glynis Sheppard, owner of Swim With Style, which also runs swim clubs in Dorset, said she was keen that as many young people as possible learned even basic first aid.

“Knowing what to do in an emergency can save someone’s life,” she said. “The course offered by STA is absolutely perfect for young people because it is clear what they have to do in a variety of situations that anyone could find themselves in.”

The Junior Medic programme takes learners through 10 medical problems, including diabetes, shock, and burns and scalds, and teaches them how they should treat the problems and how to summon expert help.

There are two levels to complete and learners can undertake the course at their own pace – there is no set number of hours in which it has to be done. All elements of the programme are assessed by the STA instructor.

Rebecca Chew, School Business Manager at St Giles CE Primary School in Shrewsbury, who was one of the first to pilot the Junior Medic programme with Swim with Style, said: “We are delighted to have been part of the pilot scheme for Junior Medic. Those children who have taken part have thoroughly enjoyed the course, both in the way it has been delivered and its content. They and we are proud that they now feel confident in what to do in an emergency situation. We look forward to working with Glynis and her fantastic team to further to develop this worthwhile initiative.”

Zoe Cooper, Head of Accounts at STA, the largest independent safety training organisation in the world, said: “We’ve found that young people are really keen to learn these first aid skills and our course enables them to enjoy a detailed course that will arm them with the knowledge they need if someone needs medical assistance.

“You never know when a medical emergency could happen so having the knowledge to be able to help in any way could make a real difference to someone. We’re so pleased that Swim With Style is successfully running these courses in Shropshire.”

The Priory School, St Giles CE Primary, Mereside Primary have all run courses and are planning more for September. Other schools taking part next term include St Peters in Wem and Market Drayton Infant School.

For further information on the After School First Aid Clubs please click here.