A NEW initiative is set to save lives by placing more than 60 extra emergency first-aiders on the streets.

Neighbourhood Watch, St John Ambulance and the Malvern Hills Community Safety Partnership are running a series of first aid sessions in Hallow, near Worcester, and Abberley, to ensure more people have the skills to deal with a range of medical emergencies.

More than 20 people attended the first session, at Abberley Village Hall, and further meetings will be held in the same venue on January 28 and February 3, followed by a session in Hallow on February 4.

Teme Valley Neighbourhood Watch chairman, John Lakeman, came up with the scheme, which is being backed by £600 of funding from Malvern Hills Community Safety Partnership.

“The rural nature of our area makes people very aware that first aid is a vital thing to know in an emergency,” Mr Lakeman said.

Community Safety Partnership chairman, Amanda Smith, said the benefits of people in rural communities such as Worcestershire learning first aid were huge.

“First-aiders can make the difference between a life lost and a life saved, so it’s great to be able to help enable more people to receive training,” she said.

“It can be critical to get prompt first aid as it can take that little bit longer for emergency services to reach you, so it’s fantastic that so many people have come forward.”

For more information about the upcoming courses, call 0121 237 3879, e-mail west-mids-training@sja.org.uk or visit sja.org.uk.