Whilst busy shopping for last-minute Christmas gifts at The Forum on Tuesday, more than a hundred people stopped by an East of England Ambulance Service demo to learn how to give another gift - the one of life. The group of East of England Ambulance Service staff and community first responder (CFR) volunteers set up a demonstration area all day to and about 150 visitors took advantage of the offer to learn how to do basic life support, using resuscitation dummies. They were also given wallet-sized cards with step-by-step instructions on how to do CPR, as well practical skills and knowledge which will help in that time of emergency.

More than a hundred people took up the opportunity to learn how to save a life in Norwich while Christmas shopping this week.

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The group of East of England Ambulance Service staff and community first responder (CFR) volunteers set up a demonstration area all day on Tuesday in The Forum and about 150 visitors took advantage of the offer to learn how to do basic life-support, using resuscitation dummies.

They were also given wallet-sized cards with step-by-step instructions on how to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), as well practical skills and knowledge which will help in an emergency.

Andrew Barlow, the service’s community partnership manager for Norfolk, said: “It gave a perfect opportunity to tell those who were interested about the role of a CFR and a number went away with literature on how to apply.

“In addition we answered queries about how to apply to join the ambulance service and reinforced the message of taking care this Christmas by not drinking too much and selecting a friend within the group to be the responsible adult.

“All in all, a very productive day,” he added.

CFRs are dispatched by the ambulance service to life-threatening calls, such as cardiac arrest, when a person has collapsed and is not breathing.

The responder groups which helped support the event included volunteers from Brundall, Poringland, Pickenham, Wayland, Wroxham and Matishall.