The great British summer is upon us and it’s time to make the most of the sunshine… when it appears!
Here are a few essential first aid tips to help you enjoy a safer summer – wherever you go on holiday.
Category: First aid
Royal Weddings, Winston Churchill and me
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© Sunlight Photography/istock
The British Red Cross has played a special part in many Royal Weddings. The celebrations for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are no exception. As we get ready for 19 May, peek down the aisle back to the 1960s and hear from the people who were there…
TV’s first Royal Wedding: 1960
The first Royal Wedding to be televised was in May 1960. More than 20 million people tuned in to watch the black and white images of Princess Margaret marrying Antony Armstrong-Jones.
The Red Cross’s Mrs S.H. McFadyen had a ringside seat in Westminster Abbey. She described the vivid colours of the ceremony for a Red Cross magazine.
“H.M. The Queen’s long dress was of vivid blue, that of the Queen Mother was gold lace with a mass of fawn ospreys on her hat.”
Princess Margaret “was in every meaning of the word a Fairy Tale bride, her dress so simple, and her veil off her face. The Duke of Edinburgh talked to her all the way up the aisle.”
Guests included Sir Winston Churchill, who “looked frail, but he was there.”
Mrs McFadyen also described the striking outfits on display in the abbey.
“Some of the hats of the guests had to be seen to be believed, and it was a wonderful sight to see the most gorgeous sari, from India, and the gay costumes worn by representatives of distant lands.”
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First aid first: how to help your child before going to A&E
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Every parent has been there.
Your child has had a fall. Or they have a fever. Either way, it may be serious.
Or perhaps it isn’t – but you just can’t be sure.
So maybe you head straight to A&E.
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Three real-life first aid stories where ordinary items saved the day
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Sam Hilton © Chris Bull/UNP
Did you know that you don’t need specialist equipment in order to help someone who is injured or hurt? No, really.
When doing first aid, there are lots of day-to-day items you can use to help someone instead.
Read three real-life first aid stories where ordinary items saved the day and you’ll soon be able to spot items around you should you ever need to help.
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“How a wrong number changed my life”: a disabled volunteer’s story
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Mark Belton, Red Cross volunteer © British Red Cross
“I think back on how I felt six or seven years ago and so much has changed,” Mark Belton said.
Mark first noticed that his sight was getting worse in his teens. His mum, nan and sister all had an inherited eye condition called retinitis pigmentosa.
“By the age of 18 or 19 I knew I had it too.
“My eyesight was deteriorating,” Mark said.
“It was a real blow, it was half expected but it sort of knocks you back. I had just got my new job then as an upholsterer.”
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“How I helped my baby having a febrile seizure”
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Leanne and her daughter Maia, © Dave Fleming/UNP
Would you be able to spot a baby or child having a febrile seizure?
Two thirds of parents surveyed said they did not know what a febrile seizure was, or how to recognise or treat one.*
Luckily for 18-month-old Maia from Swindon, her mum Leanne Barnett did know what to do.
Back when Maia was six months old, Leanne decided to take a baby and child first aid course with the British Red Cross.
It was a good decision. When Maia suffered a febrile seizure, Leanne was able to give her daughter exactly the help she needed.
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Learning baby first aid with The Last Leg’s Alex Brooker
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As a co-host on Channel 4’s The Last Leg, Alex Brooker has no fear of live TV. But he felt less confident about being able to help his six-month-old daughter in a first aid emergency.
“Our baby’s weaning now and I’m a massive worrier. Every little thing I worry about,” he said.
To ease those concerns, Alex took part in a British Red Cross group first aid course so that he could learn with his friends and family – and he’s really pleased he did.
To mark World First Aid Day, come and learn first aid with Alex.
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World First Aid Day: learn how to help a choking baby or child in minutes
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New research from the British Red Cross has revealed that three out of four parents in the UK would not be able to save their baby from choking.*
But helping a baby or child who is choking is much simpler than you might think. In fact, you can learn how in just a few minutes.
To mark World First Aid Day on 9 September, we’re calling on anyone who looks after little ones to learn this life-saving skill, and encourage others to by wrapping your social media profile picture with our “I can save a life” pledge.
Keep reading and you’ll be ready to save a life in no time.
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