Every year in the United Kingdom, 3 million people go to hospital with injuries that could have been helped by first aid. One million of these are children. First aid skills can save lives and reduce injury.  “Life. Live it.” is a major British Red Cross campaign to promote first aid knowledge and skills among young people, to inspire them to learn first aid, to and build a generation of lifesavers.  The campaign's key element is to train young people to become peer educators so they can train other young people with first aid skills.  Using peer educators to provide first aid, spread information about it and offer practical first-aid skill exercises is particularly effective. This multiplier approach helps reach many more young people in the community.

The campaign also aims to reduce risks and vulnerabilities. First aid education helps young people to think about the potential consequences of their actions, health and lifestyle choices. Through conversations about first aid, it can be possible to identify individuals’ vulnerability or risk behaviours and indicate other services that could assist them. Learning first aid can also raise young people's self-esteem and self-image.

First aid is a valuable life skill in itself, but is not just about bandages, plasters and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It also has many other benefits for young people. It can be a tool for generating discussions on risk reduction and safe behaviours, bullying, racism, safe sex, drugs and alcohol. It can promote youth action, develop social skills and lead to humanitarian acts, from comforting a person in distress to saving someone’s life.

In west-central/south-west Scotland, the society worked in partnership with the YMCA to deliver this peer education project. Both organizations are committed to working with young people, particularly those who are vulnerable or at risk.  For twelve weeks, a Red Cross first-aid trainer and youth worker trained eight young people aged 15—17 years once a week in first aid and as peer educators. The group also learned about facilitation skills, child protection and the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. After the course, participants received a certificate outlining the training completed. They will go on to deliver first-aid awareness sessions to other young people in their communities.

The group was involved as much as possible in planning the project. For example, they discussed first aid to discover what skills would be most relevant to them and why. The training was focused on those elements. During the course, they prepared and delivered a presentation about the project for local Red Cross volunteers.  They also planned how, where and to whom they will deliver their first-aid awareness sessions.

Training young people to provide their peers with information on first aid as well as hands-on experience of first-aid skills enables the BRC to reach many more young people than traditional training approaches. Each peer educator is estimated to reach up to 200 young people – some of whom may be at risk. Participating in the project helps young people to increase their first aid skills and knowledge, their confidence and ability to stay calm and cope in a crisis, and their communication and presentation skills.  The group also noted that they worked better as a team, developed listening skills and a sympathetic attitude, and wanted to help people.

The key outcome was that first aid contributed to risk reduction by increasing the resilience of individuals, families and communities. This supports the society's priorities of building local and individual capacity to withstand and recover from emergencies and promoting humanitarian action.

Feedback from peer educators, the YMCA and British Red Cross staff, and volunteers involved in the project showed that there is a continuing demand for this type of project. Projects can be tailored to encourage risk reduction and meet the specific needs of a group, for example, first aid for young mothers, substance abusers or those at risk of violence.

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