My hometown of Rugby has an amazing charity called OurJay Foundation. They provide defibrillators and training to the local and wider community.
Today (14th Feb), with my family, I attended a brilliant CPR and defibrillator awareness drop-in at Rugby Theatre Bar. It was a fantastic opportunity to learn and raise our awareness about this important subject. Appropriately, it was held on Valentine’s Day and organised by OurJay Foundation.
My family and I felt very welcome and were given a relaxed, hands-on opportunity to learn skills that could one day save lives along with a coffee!
Our session was run by Jamie’s (Jay) mum, Naomi, who delivered an excellent and informative demonstration, supported by St John Ambulance. There was no pressure, just encouragement to have a go, ask questions, and learn at your own pace. That approach really helped us and made the whole experience very informative and accessible.
What really impressed me was the practical nature of the experience. A clear walk-through explained how defibrillators work, which significantly reduced the uncertainty and fear people often feel about using them. Seeing the equipment up close and understanding its simplicity made a huge difference.
Knowing what to do, even in a basic way, can make all the difference in an emergency, and this session genuinely helped improve our confidence. All my questions were answered and helped my leaning.
A big thank you goes to OurJay for organising such an informative event and for the continued work they do in raising awareness in the community. We definitely feel more ready and confident to act if the moment ever comes.
For those following this blog, you’ll know I now act as OurJay’s guardian. During today’s walk-in, I also received some exciting news: I’ll soon be overseeing a fourth local cabinet once it’s installed. Earlier this year I got involved with the foundation after noticing the rise in defibrillator cabinets around Rugby. Given my own family’s history with heart issues, it felt like a truly worthy cause to support.
If you would like to know more about OurJay Foundation, please visit their official site:
Or for other news documenting my experiences volunteering as a guardian for OurJay, please check my new site page:
https://everythingelse.blog/ourjay-foundation/
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