Not-for-profit organisation TOBE-Heartsafe www.tobe-heartsafe.org.uk is delighted to continue its partnership with The Golden Thread Alliance – a Multi Academy Trust – this January 2026 with free community basic life support training thanks to its fundraising programme.
Working closely with CEO of the Trust Garry Ratcliffe, TOBE’s cardiac nurses are running hourly sessions for the schools’ community of parents, carers and siblings in the afternoon of Wednesday 14th January and Thursday 15th January 2026 at its Riverview Academy (Gravesend) and Fleetdown Primary Academy (Dartford) schools.
The team are expecting to train close to a hundred people over the two days having already trained over 1,200 of the Trust’s Year 5 and 6 students in the last year. Those attending the session will be taught:
Those attending the training will have the skills, knowledge, understanding and confidence in CPR and the safe use of an AED. The TOBE team is also planning to work with local sports clubs and academies in the area to offer free cardiac screening for 14-35 year olds, and is hoping to expand these plans nationwide in 2026.
Lucia Amato, TOBE’s Cardiac Nurse confirms its importance: “Most cardiac arrests, particularly out-of-hospital ones, occur in private residences, with 8 out of 10 or over 80% happening at home.” Lucia Amato, TOBE’s Cardiac Nurse.
“ Survival rates can be as high as 60-70% in young people when resuscitation is started by bystanders but every minute that passes without chest compressions and defibrillation reduces their chance of survival by up to 10%. This training gives the participants the confidence and the ability to perform effective CPR.”
Garry Ratcliffe CEO of The Golden Thread Alliance confirmed: “We’re delighted that TOBE has chosen our wonderful extended community of parents, carers and friends of our schools to offer free training. We know from our lesson plans with the children that they offer a very comprehensive and informative programme, and those taking part will have the knowledge and skills that might just help save a life.”
Sam Richards, friend of The Golden Thread Alliance is a co-founder of TOBE-Heartsafe. Sam found her own son, 22 yr old Toby dead on his bedroom floor from an undiagnosed heart condition in 2019. At the time of death he was fitter and healthier than he’d ever been. His death was registered as SADS – Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome.
That tragedy brought together a team of people and specialists who decided to form TOBE to raise awareness and expand cardiac screening and basic life support training services across the UK into local communities with its buy one, donate one model.
