Royal Mail launches new initiative to spread lifesaving CPR training

The Royal Mail has launched a new initiative to raise awareness of CPR training through its parcel locker network.

This is part of a broader partnership with the British Heart Foundation (BHF), which has already seen Royal Mail raise £1 million for community defibrillators.

The first CPR awareness parcel locker is now operational in London, with hundreds more set to be introduced this year.

The locker features the BHF logo and a QR code with the message “scan to learn CPR in 15 minutes.”

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The QR code directs users to the RevivR homepage, the BHF’s free online course that teaches people how to perform CPR in just 15 minutes.

Royal Mail launched its parcel locker network in December to meet the growing demand for convenient parcel drop-off and collection options from online shoppers and the increasing number of people selling on second-hand marketplaces.

The lockers provide label printing, meaning customers simply need to pay for postage online and print the label by scanning a QR code at the locker or request a QR code if they are returning a purchase.

The new initiative to spread lifesaving education is part of Royal Mail’s wider partnership with BHF, which focuses on both fundraising and CPR training.

There are over 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year in the UK, with less than one in ten people surviving.

The BHF is determined to improve this statistic by giving everyone the opportunity to learn CPR.

Every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces the chance of survival by up to ten per cent.

Giving CPR promptly and using a defibrillator can more than double someone’s chance of survival.

More than £1 million has already been raised by Royal Mail employees, funding hundreds of defibrillators in community locations.

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Greg Sage, director of corporate affairs and ESG at Royal Mail, said: “Our parcel lockers are making it easier for our customers to send their parcels, and now they are helping to deliver something even more valuable – life-saving knowledge.

“By working with the British Heart Foundation to bring quick, accessible training to communities across the UK, we hope to make a real difference.”

Estelle Stephenson, head of health partnerships and community resuscitation at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: “RevivR is a really easy way to learn a lifesaving skill – all you need is your mobile phone and a firm cushion.

“In just 15 minutes you learn how to recognise a cardiac arrest, with personalised feedback to build confidence in CPR and using a defibrillator.”