With colder weather on the way, it’s really important to remain fit and healthy at this time of year to help your body fight off the common colds and viruses that are circulating. Eating well, wrapping up warm and carefully planning your journeys are simple ways stay safe during winter. This blog highlights some of the first aid tips you may require over the winter months and potential hazards to look out for. It is essential to maintain body heat during winter to avoid hypothermia. Ideally, the temperature indoors should be at least 18 degrees. If you cannot afford to keep the heating on all winter (it can really add up!) then keep adding the layers, have accessible blankets around the house and hot water bottles which are particularly useful and a cost-effective way to keep extra warm indoors. If you are venturing outside, ensure to wrap up warm and add layers such as, hats, scarves and gloves to prevent you from getting too cold. Unfortunately, hypothermia is a huge danger at this time of year. The number of hypothermia deaths has doubled over the last five years. It is really important to learn the signs of hypothermia which include pale and cold skin, shallow breathing, a weak pulse and disorientation. If you suspect someone is suffering from hypothermia, then it is vital to encourage the to undertake the following: – Slowly restore warmth and get indoors if they are not already – Begin CPR if necessary – If they are conscious, give them a warm drink such as – Keep their body temperature up by wrapping them in blankets – Wear several light layers rather than one chunky layer – Regular hot drinks and meals – Be very careful around open fire – Close the curtains after dark to keep away drafts – Keep your hands clean to reduce germs spreading – Stay active – Keep windows closed at night As mentioned in the introduction, cold weather can have a detrimental impact on your health. There are many preventative measures that can be taken to ensure that you are fit and healthy throughout the winter months and avoiding sickness: – Enquire about getting the flu jab – Take multivitamins – Maintain a healthy diet – Have hot meals and drinks where possible – Invest in a hat, scarf and gloves and a good coat – Exercise and keeping active helps to maintain body heat amongst many other health benefits When the temperature drops to below 8 °C some people particularly vulnerable people such as young children, people with existing health conditions, people with a low income and elderly people become at risk of various problems: – Heart attack – Stroke – Pneumonia – Falls and injuries – Hypothermia During the winter, travelling can become particularly hazardous. Take extra care when walking outdoors as footpaths can become slippery. Invest in a sensible pair of shoes with good grip to help to prevent slips and trips. If you are driving, it is important to be aware that the roads can become slippery and dangerous. It is a good idea to have a winter first aid kit stocked in the car including blankets and water in case you break down. Other driving essentials during this time of year include an ice scraper, winter screen wash, de-icer and a foil blanket. As well as ensuring that you take all of these measures to stay healthy, please look out for vulnerable people and do what you can to help them to keep warm. Perhaps consider donating blankets, hot water bottles and tinned food to those in need. Drive calmly and safely to prevent being involved in an accident. If you are interested in learning more about learning basic first aid skills, please book yourself a place on one of our open first aid courses.
Cold Weather
Keep warm
Further tips for keeping warm and staying safe:
Keep healthy and fight the cold
Travel safely
We hope that this blog has given you some basic ideas about how to stay safe during winter.
Tag: dawn evans
Time to Talk Day 2018
On the 1st February 2018 it is National #TimeToTalk Day. Time to Talk Day is a day designed to encourage the nation to break the silence around mental health problems and the stigma that is consequently attached to it. It’s easy to think that there is no right place to talk about mental health. But, the more we talk about it, the better and healthier life is for all of us. Get involved with Time to Talk Day by having a conversation about mental health and showing that we can all talk about this subject anywhere – in a lift, at the gym or even up a mountain!
Ajuda are avid supporters of mental health campaigns such as Time to Talk – we believe strongly that not only is it important to look after our own mental health, it is important to look out for people around us such as colleagues, family, friends and even strangers.
Why?
A whopping one in four people are affected by mental health problems at some point during their life. This means that right now, one of your friends, colleagues or loved ones is currently affected. Despite how common mental illness is, people are still afraid to talk about it. Unfortunately, this often means that people suffer alone because they are too afraid to speak out about their health problems.Time to Talk day aims to get people talking about mental health and through this, stop the stigma, aid recovery, improve relationships and break down stereotypes regarding something that can affect us all. Together we can stop people from feeling isolated or judged when they are experiencing a mental health problem. Too many people with mental health problems are made to feel isolated, worthless and ashamed. Time to Talk Day is a chance for all of us to be more open about mental health.
How?
This year, on Time to Talk Day, we would like to urge everyone to open the conversation on mental health wherever you are. At Ajuda, we will be sure to have a positive and honest conversation in the office about mental health. We will also be talking about mental health across all our social media platforms throughout the day and joining in the conversation online.
Training
If mental health is something that you are interested in learning more about, Ajuda offer Mental Health Awareness courses. For more information about this please call us on 029 2057 6883.
Useful Resources
For further information about Time To Talk Day please visit www.time-to-change.org.uk
If you are concerned about your own or somebody else’s mental health please visit this page on Mind’s website for information about how to deal with this.
Dawn Evans to talk at The National Education Show
Dawn Evans is also set to talk at The National Education Show in November 2018. Dawn established Ajuda 10 years ago after her young daughter choked on a sweet. She realised the huge importance of first aid training; if she did not have essential first aid skills, her daughter could have died. After this incidence, Dawn set out to become a qualified first aid trainer and started teaching parents, teachers, creche assistants, schools and colleges first aid skills. First aid and teaching people how easy it is to save a life has become a passion for Dawn.
Ajuda specialises in a variety of health and safety related courses in order to keep schools safe. Ajuda facilitates affordable courses in schools throughout the UK and are specialists in onsite training during school inset days.
At The National Education Show, Dawn will be holding a seminar introducing how to perform CPR and use a defibrillator in a school environment. Parents count on school staff & teachers to keep their children safe – in class, in the halls, and on the athletic fields. By attending Dawn’s seminar, delegates will take a step towards becoming advocates for automated external defibrillators. Delegates will learn, on a basic level, how to protect children and staff from sudden cardiac arrest and potentially death. Being equipped with this life-saving knowledge also ensures that other teachers are protected in the school environment.
During the seminar, Dawn will be showing attendees the basic skills required to save a life, including the use of CPR and the external defibrillator. To book your ticket to attend Dawn’s seminar, please see here.
The National Education show is an all-day education conference in South Wales that plays host to over 4,000 teachers, 100 companies and 40 professional speakers. Last year, Ajuda ran a competition at the show for attendees to win a life-saving defibrillator for their school. The lucky school that won the competition was Blaenavon Heritage VC Primary School. We are thrilled to announce that this year we will be running the same competition. For more information about our stand please read our exhibitor spotlight here.
Please see here to find out more about Dawn. To book your ticket for Dawn’s seminar please see here.
Dawn Davies to talk at The National Education Show
One of our fantastic trainers has been selected to speak at the prestigious National Education Show in November.
Dawn Davies, a retired qualified nurse, has a wealth of experience in the field and in the classroom. Dawn will be delivering a seminar on identifying, diagnosing and treating ongoing medical conditions affecting children. Dawn regularly delivers seminars and training to teachers and students regarding medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes and anaphylaxis.
Medical conditions are a huge worry for any parent and teacher. During the seminar Dawn will show attendees how to recognise and treat a child or teacher suffering from a variety of medical conditions. Dawn will share her wealth of experience and explain how to keep children safe in the classroom, whilst enjoying their school years with a controlled medical condition.
To book your ticket to attend Dawn’s seminar, please see here.
The National Education Show is an all-day education conference in Wales that plays host to over 4,000 teachers, 100 companies and 40 professional speakers. Last year, Ajuda were sponsors/supporters of the show and exhibited in the upstairs hall. We ran a competition at the show for teachers to win a life-saving defibrillator for their school. We’re thrilled to announce that this year we will be running the same competition. For more information about our stand please read our exhibitor spotlight here.
Defibrillator delivered to lucky school by Ajuda
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 21st 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.
Ajuda installs AED Defib at Newport Cathedral
Ajuda installed a Defib at Newport Cathedral, an active Christian community and place of worship situated on top of Stow Hill and overlooking the city of Newport. Members of the church have recently acknowledged the importance of having an automated external defibrillator (AED) in their parish and have called on Ajuda to install one and teach them how to use it. A defibrillator is a very important piece of equipment that can truly help to save a life by giving a high energy electric shock to the heart in certain types of cardiac arrest. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) alone raises a person’s chance of survival from a cardiac arrest to 4%; CPR combined with the use of an AED increases the chance of survival to 74%.
There are currently many ongoing appeals in the UK to make it mandatory to have defibrillators installed in public places; so, this is a very positive and significant step for the church. The AED, funded by a member of the parish, has been installed and is ready to use in an emergency. Ten parishioners underwent training from Dawn Evans. They learnt how to perform CPR and how to use an AED. In recognising the significance of defibrillators and taking action, the parish is really looking after their community – it is a very important and worthy step forward. By taking this training and having the AED installed, in the unfortunate event that somebody suffers a cardiac arrest when inside or nearby the Cathedral, they will be in well-trained hands and will have an increased chance of survival.
For more information on this story please visit Business News Wales
Ajuda trains 300 in 3 days
Last week a team of Ajuda trainers pulled off something that to others may have seemed impossible. Over the course of 3 days they managed to train 300 local people in Emergency First Aid. Ajuda hired Fairwater Conservative Club for the duration of the training, which proved to be a fantastic venue for such an event. The room was split in two – a classroom type environment with a projector on one side and an array of manikins and such on the other.
Ajuda founder, Dawn Evans, alongside a team of 7 other Ajuda trainers, split the delegates into smaller groups to learn the practical side of First Aid Training. Even though there were 100 people attending the 4 hour sessions each day, every single attendee got a chance to practice on a manikin with supervision from a trainer. The practical training was combined with a presentation, videos and other activities. Each delegate also received an Ajuda first aid manual with all the information they need on what they learnt about first aid.
We are thrilled with the feedback we’ve received since the event and would love to take part in similar sessions in the future. It was an incredibly rewarding 3 days and was made even better by the warm reception and the delegates’ willingness to learn.
If you are interested in booking a large first aid event with us, or would like more information on any of our training courses, please, do not hesitate to call us on 02920 576 883 or email info@ajuda.org.uk
International Women’s Day
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.
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!
A busy day in the life of Ajuda’s founder Dawn Evans
Dawn Evans who founded Ajuda in October 2009 is a very busy lady. Her days can be taken up with training students, delivering presentations, winning awards, volunteering and many more exciting activities. Today, Thursday 11th February, I am shadowing Dawn for the day to see what she gets up to.
11am
We start the day by attending Fire Station 21 in Aberbargoed at an award ceremony for an employability programme where our trainers made up part of the delivery team. The ‘Station 21’ programme has taught the young people involved many essential life skills to prepare them for the working world; teamwork, communication, interview skills, CV building, support for each other, confidence and resilience have been the cornerstones of the programme for the students, as well as giving them the opportunity to gain accredited qualifications in Food Safety, Fire Safety, Manual Handling and Customer Service. The accredited qualifications were taught by a team of professional tutors from Ajuda, led by Head tutor Tom Collins. The young adults who have taken part in this programme have learnt how to put out a fire as a team which has helped them to highly develop a lot of the aforementioned integral skills.
It was really fantastic to see so many young people engaging with the programme with their spirits high and their confidence boosted. It is a very worthy cause and one that Ajuda is thrilled to be a part of – having already signed up to offer more training in future programmes. The programme was supported by the Welsh Government, Communities First, Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations (GAVO), Department of Work and Pensions and Job Centre Plus.
12:30pm
Next, we have a scenic drive through the valleys on route to Swansea. Dawn is due to give a speech for IOSH at the Tower Hotel at 2.00pm so it’s a tight squeeze to say the least. Luckily we arrive with time to spare for lunch so we tuck in to the delicious buffet on offer!
2pm
Dawn delivers a brilliant 45-minute presentation about Health and Safety in the fitness industry. She highlights the importance of things that often get overlooked; or, at least, don’t get as much attention as they should be getting. The implementation of defibrillators, and ensuring that staff are trained to use one in gyms and sports centres is a hot topic amongst the guests, and something that everyone agreed is essential. The audience were also very interested in insurance in the unfortunate event of an accident at the gym. The delegates debated amongst themselves whilst Dawn inputted her expert opinion, remaining collected and poised throughout. After answering many audience questions it’s time to rush off to destination number 3.
4.30pm
Our final stop is the stunning Cardiff Castle. Ajuda are sponsoring the Introbiz Business Networking event for the evening. Introbiz is a fantastic independent business network that hosts weekly networking events and is run by Tracey and Paul Smolinski. After some tea, biscuits and networking, Dawn talks to the attendees about Ajuda, and the benefits to selecting the correct Health & Safety training for their company. Dawn also highlighted the achievements that Ajuda has achieved so far. After Dawn’s speech it’s time to find our table. We sit amongst other business folk – from accountants to events managers (we were very interested in zip lining!) and there was a lot of business card exchanging and chatting. It was very enjoyable and laidback – a brilliant way to meet other like-minded people in business.
6.30pm
It’s time to go home! What an excellent and insightful day. I’m already thoroughly enjoying my time working at Ajuda and am looking forward to what’s coming next!
Ajuda launches new website for 2016
Welcome to our new website.
Ajuda Limited has started the new year with the release of our brand new website. after many meetings, long hours of development and numerous amendments we hope you like our new look as much as we do. We have not only improved the look and feel of our site though, we hope you will find that information of the many courses we run at Ajuda is much easier to access.
Alongside a much improved User experience, we have also upgraded our on-line booking system allows our customers to book courses as much as 3 months in advance quickly and easily. Customers can browse all courses by clicking the Training tab on the Menu bar on the homepage, select the course they wish to attend and select the date required. Simple!
We have also added our very popular On-line Training Portal to this site, a simple, convenient and cost effective way to add additional training to your skills at a time and pace that suits you. These courses are multi-module so you can pause the training at the end of each and return to the course from the next module, all these courses can be tried for free before you purchase, simply register and follow the on line instructions. Find out more about our online training portal.
So feel free to have a browse, we will be updating you all via this Blog on the exciting year we have ahead. We hope you enjoy the website, we would love to hear your feedback.
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