Cardiff CPR campaign launches to boost survival rates
The travelling manikin, a hallmark of the initiative, will be stationed at high‑footfall locations, inviting passers‑by to practise chest compressions under the guidance of qualified instructors.
Resus Annie on Tour will arrive in Cardiff on 19 October as part of the nationwide Restart a Heart 2026 campaign, offering free public CPR training across the capital.
The travelling manikin, a hallmark of the initiative, will be stationed at high‑footfall locations, inviting passers‑by to practise chest compressions under the guidance of qualified instructors.
Organisers say the event aims to narrow the gap in survival rates from out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrests, which currently sit at roughly one in twenty in Wales.
Across the United Kingdom, an estimated 115,000 people suffer an out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrest each year, according to Resuscitation Council UK data.
“Nobody’s chance of surviving a cardiac arrest should depend on their postcode, ethnicity or background,” said Adam Benson‑Clarke, clinical director at Resuscitation Council UK.
He added, “Yet we know that access to lifesaving skills and knowledge is not equal.”
“Through Resus Annie on Tour, we’re helping more people learn CPR and feel confident stepping in when every second counts.”
The campaign highlights stark disparities, with research indicating that individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds are less likely to have received CPR training.
These groups are also less aware of the location of nearby defibrillators or how to operate them in an emergency.
Health officials stress that prompt by‑stander CPR can double or even triple a victim’s chance of survival before ambulance crews arrive.
In previous years, community‑based training sessions have shown a measurable rise in by‑stander intervention rates, prompting the council to expand the programme.
Cardiff residents are encouraged to approach the Resus Annie team, ask questions, and take part in the hands‑on practice sessions.
Training stations will be set up in areas such as the Civic Centre, St David’s Shopping Centre and near the Wales Millennium Centre.
Each session will run for approximately thirty minutes, allowing participants to learn the correct hand placement, depth and rhythm for chest compressions.
Organisers hope the visibility of the campaign will also spur the installation of more public defibrillators throughout the city.
Community groups and local businesses have pledged support, providing venues and promoting the event through social media channels.
By equipping more citizens with the confidence to act, the Restart a Heart initiative seeks to raise Wales’s cardiac arrest survival rate well above the current one‑in‑twenty benchmark.