Cardiff Bay Archives

Defibrillator delivered to lucky school by Ajuda

Posted on November 22, 2017April 18, 2019 by Dawn Evans

We are thrilled to announce that the winner of our free defibrillator competition that we ran at The National Education Show last month is Blaenavon Heritage VC Primary School. The defibrillator was delivered by our Managing Director, Dawn, on 21^st November along with a practical demonstration of how to use it for the staff.

On average, defibrillators are worth between £1,000 – £1,500. The model that we have given as a prize is the LIFEPAK CR Plus AED. The school and the nearby rugby club had previously been fundraising for a defibrillator earlier on in the year but unfortunately, the fundraiser fell through at the last minute. Winning this prize has come as a very welcome surprise to all members of staff at Blaenavon Heritage VC Primary and to members of staff at the adjoining leisure centre. All staff, parents, pupils and members of the public in close vicinity can feel protected and assured that they are in a heart safe area.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be in a position where I can give away one of these incredible devices. I’m really passionate about introducing more and more defibrillators into public spaces and ultimately saving lives. Thanks to a life-saving defibrillator and CPR training, my father is alive today. The fact that the defibrillator can be accessed in both the school and the leisure centre in Blaenavon is fantastic news” said Dawn after delivering the special prize.

The defibrillator will be used to give a high energy electric shock to the heart through the chest wall to someone who is in cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) can affect people of all ages, gender, ethnicity and fitness levels. According to Resuscitation Council UK, a staggering 270 children die every year from SCA at school whilst 12 people under the age of 35 die each week due to SCA. If CPR is performed alongside the use of a defibrillator within the first 3-5 minutes, survival chances increase from 6% to 74%.

These statistics highlight how crucial it is that schools are as prepared as possible to help somebody who has suffered a cardiac arrest. With their previous first aid training and their new defibrillator, Blaenavon Heritage VC Primary School is now one of the safer schools in Wales. Having a defibrillator on-site means that both the staff and the pupils are protected whilst at school. We are delighted to have played a part in creating a new heart safe area in Wales and are dedicated to introducing defibrillators into as many public spaces as possible.

Have you spotted a defibrillator in your local area? If so, let us know or send us a picture on Twitter @ajuda_training.

How safe is your building?

Posted on June 21, 2017July 1, 2019 by Dawn Evans

In light of last weeks tragic event in London, we have decided to focus this week’s blog on how to ensure that your building is as fire safe as it can be. Following on from our last blog regarding the importance of Fire Drills in the workplace, we will be highlighting prevention and protection measures that you can take. In a time where many people will be feeling incredibly worried about how to protect their buildings from fire, Ajuda will be offering a 20% discount off any of our in-house and our online Fire Safety courses.

Prevention

Fire prevention is the act of stopping fires from occurring. It is just as important to have a Fire Prevention plan in place as safety measures in the actual event of a fire.

Fire prevention measures may include matters such as:

– The prohibition of smoking on the premises.

– Adequate cleaning of work areas – keeping them clutter free. Bad housekeeping can not only cause a fire and help it spread, it can also hinder safe evacuations, obstruct access to firefighting equipment and obstruct fire exits.

– Avoiding the use of portable heaters and coolers.

– Preventing the accumulation of easily ignitable rubbish or paper.

– Regular risk assessments.

– Put in place security provisions that may help to reduce the risk of an arson attack.

– Positioning of heat sources to prevent contact with combustible material such as paper.

– Regular maintenance programmes of electrical equipment and wiring.

– Positioning of heaters and other machinery so that ventilators aren’t obstructed.

– Report electrical hazards.

– Never block sprinklers, firefighting equipment or emergency exits. Observe clearances when stacking materials.

– Ensure at least one person in the building is trained in how to use a fire extinguisher correctly.

Basically, fire prevention is focused on the principle of keeping fuel sources and ignition sources separate. If something creates heat, keep things that burn away from it.

Protection

Fire protection can save lives and minimise the amount of damage when a fire does occur. Some fire measures are built into a property whereas others can be introduced later (sometimes as a result of a fire risk assessment). There are two types of fire protection measures, either active or passive controls:

An Active Control Measure requires an action by somebody or something (e.g automated system) when a fire is detected. Examples include:

– Fire alarm systems

– Smoke detectors

– Emergency lighting

– Sprinkler systems

– Fire extinguishers, blankets and hoses

A Passive Control Measure are usually physical features that have been designed to make a building safer. Examples include:

– Compartmentation (e.g. fire-resistant walls, ceilings and doors to restrict fires from spreading)

– Fire exits

– Multiple escape routes and refuges

– Clear signage and emergency lighting

If you would like to take advantage of our current discounts please click here for our online training portal and here for our in-house fire safety course.

International Women’s Day

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Dawn Evans

8th March 2016 – International Women’s Day is a day for celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women all around the globe.

‘ “The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights,” says world-renowned feminist, journalist and social and political activist Gloria Steinem. International Women’s Day is all about celebration, reflection, advocacy, and action – whatever that looks like globally at a local level. But one thing is for sure, International Women’s Day has been occurring for over a century – and is growing annually from strength to strength.’ www.internationalwomensday.com

Ajuda Limited is led by founder and managing director Dawn Evans. Since forming Ajuda Limited in October 2009, Dawn and her team have trained over 40,000 students in a variety of vocational qualifications such as First Aid, Health and Safety and Fire Safety to name a few. Dawn’s daughter, Beth, choked as a child. This impassioned Dawn as it highlighted to her the importance of learning first aid skills. Had she not had the training, her daughter may have died. Ajuda really are educating people to save lives, and this fact alone makes Dawn’s hard work worthwhile.
In March 2015 Dawn was announced as one of the most inspirational people in Wales, being awarded the Educator award at the Inspire Wales Awards. In September 2015 she was nominated as a finalist for Female Entrepreneur of the year at the South Wales Business Awards. Most recently, Dawn was invited to St. James Palace where she had the opportunity to talk to HRH Prince Phillip about the extensive first aid training that Ajuda carries out.

HRH Prince Phillip and me

Proud to be recognised with the Investors in People Award, Ajuda is a community-focused company. Ajuda aims to make a really positive difference to individuals, teams and organisations alike. In addition to her role as Managing Director of Ajuda, Dawn is a role model for the Welsh Government Big Ideas Program. This involves delivering presentations on entrepreneurship, where she takes the time to share her experiences with students age 13 upwards in order to inspire confidence and motivation, encouraging them to consider launching their own company in the future. Dawn is incredibly passionate about this work and is a business mentor for The Prince’s Trust – a role in which she mentors young individuals who are about to start their journey into entrepreneurship.
Dawn set up Heartstart Cardiff in partnership with the British Heart Foundation in 2014. Heartstart is a scheme where Dawn and her trainers work on a voluntary basis providing first aid training free to local school children. The British Heart Foundation nominated Dawn for a Heart Hero Award to celebrate her fundraising and contribution to the BHF – she was announced as the winner of this award in 2015.

Ajuda celebrates strong, successful women not only today, but every day. From an office run by women, Ajuda acknowledges the importance of strong, female figures.

Happy International Women’s Day everybody!