Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe has been nationally recognised by St John’s Ambulance when it scooped the Top of the Class at the St John Ambulance Everyday Heroes awards in London. 

The school was nominated for its incredible commitment to first aid and life saving. The school has three defibrillators on site, aims to train 850 students how to save a life and has a First Aid Response Team set up in school.

The event was hosted by presenter and musician Myleene Klass, and supported by Laerdal Medical – creator of the world famous Resusci Anne. 

The St John Ambulance Everyday Heroes Awards is a special awards programme celebrating the incredible stories of ordinary people who have used first aid to save a life. The awards are also a chance to recognise individuals and businesses that have championed the cause, helping to create more first aiders in our communities.

HRH The Countess of Wessex was in attendance, with a special affiliation to the charity as Grand President of the Order of St John – St John Ambulance’s parent organisation. The Countess spent time meeting the finalists and key supporters of the charity.

Simon Dunn, Regional Director at St John Ambulance in the North, said: ‘It’s right that we take the time to recognise these truly remarkable people on a national stage as their stories really show the difference first aid can make. They are an inspiration and should all be incredibly proud of their achievements.’

Myleene Klass said: ‘”I feel very privileged to host the St John Ambulance Everyday Heroes awards – I know from personal experience how scary it is when you’re faced with a first aid emergency. My own daughter choked when she was just a baby, and I really believe because of the first aid training I’d had, I was able to save her  life.‎”

Steve Overton, Managing Director of Laerdal UK, said: ‘The Everyday Heroes winners are remarkable examples of why first aid training is a vital skill that should be learnt by everybody. Laerdal Medical is delighted to be supporting St John Ambulance to help shine a spotlight on these inspirational people to give them the recognition they deserve.’

Mrs Angie Holland, Lead First Aider at Saint Paul’s, said: The school set out to ensure that every student in the school was trained in first aid. We are so pleased that the success of our programme was recognised with such a prestigious national award. I am very proud of those involved and would like to thank Diane Keary, Claire Hunt, Stella McGovern, Lisa Baillie, Mike Whiteside, Claire Le Marquand, Clayton Stieryl and Ursula Gallagher who helped roll out the training.”

“We are delighted to have won the Top of the Class award,” said Executive Headteacher, Mr Tony Billings. “First aid skills are extremely valuable and important, equipping our staff and students with the knowledge which could be the difference between life and death. Angie Holland and her team have done an amazing job of rolling out the training to all the students at Saint Paul’s and we are very proud to receive this national recognition for our school.”