The St John Ambulance 'Save a Life September' campaign was launched in Norwich this weekend.

The national campaign from the first aid charity was launched in Norfolk with an all-day event at The Mall Norwich on Saturday and was aimed at equipping as many people as possible with vital first aid skills.

Research carried out by St John Ambulance last year showed that up to 150,000 people die every year in situations where first aid could have given them the chance to live.

This includes nearly 900 people who choke to death, 2,500 who asphyxiate from a blocked airway and 29,000 who die from heart attacks.

In addition, the charity found that about 58pc of people wouldn't know what to do if faced with a medical emergency and a quarter would do nothing.

The event at The Mall Norwich taught members of the public how to save a life using five easy-to-follow techniques and saw people given a free pocket-sized first aid guide to carry in case of emergency.

Mick Coley, county executive officer for St John Ambulance in Norfolk, said: 'Learning first aid is one of the single most important things you can do in your life.

'You never know when you may need it – at work, at home, in school, playing sport – you just don't know.

'With basic first aid skills, anyone can be the difference between a life lost and a life saved and what could be more important than saving someone's life? By launching Save a Life September and holding first aid demonstrations across the country, we want to reach as many people as possible, so that more people are equipped with the skills to save a life.

'Anyone who needs first aid should get it and armed with this knowledge we can all be the difference between a life lost and a life saved.'

There will be more of the Save a Life September events in Norwich later this month.

The first one is at The Mall Norwich on Saturday, September 17 and this will be followed by another at Chapelfield Shopping Centre on Saturday, September 24.

To find out more about St John Ambulance events visit www.sja.org.uk/sals or call 01603 431639.

Do you know someone who used first aid to save a life recently? Call Local Life editor David Freezer on 01603 772418 or email david.freezer@archant.co.uk