Restart a Heart Day 2025: Could You Save a Life?
If you needed to ‘restart a heart’, could you?
That’s the question we ask at Safe and Sound, as we help thousands of people every year to gain first aid training and certification.
We’ve created these guides before, but we hope that this one may help someone in an emergency to save a life in the event of a cardiac arrest.
So it seems fitting that we discuss our ability to perform CPR on someone who has experienced cardiac arrest for Restart a Heart Day.
Restart a Heart Day: What You need to know.
Every year, thousands of people in the UK suffer a sudden cardiac arrest.
Many of them could survive if someone nearby knew how to act quickly. That’s where Restart a Heart Day 2025 comes in. Observed this year on the 16th of October.
It’s a global awareness campaign that highlights the importance of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and defibrillator use.
What is Restart a Heart Day?
Restart a Heart Day is an annual event, first launched in Europe in 2013, designed to train as many people as possible in CPR.
In the UK, it’s supported by the Resuscitation Council UK, ambulance services, charities, and training providers like Safe and Sound Training.
Why It Matters in 2025
Even with advances in healthcare, survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests remain low—less than 1 in 10 people survive. A stat which breaks our hearts and pushes us to make a difference.
The difference between life and death is often whether someone nearby knew CPR.
Restart a Heart Day 2025 is about making sure you can be that person.
Understanding Cardiac Arrest
The Difference Between a Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest
Many people seem to get the two terms confused, and it’s important to know the difference.
Quick identification and assessment can increase the chances of a victim’s survival exponentially.
- Heart Attack: A blockage in blood flow to the heart muscle. The heart usually keeps beating.
- Cardiac Arrest: The heart suddenly stops beating effectively. Without CPR and defibrillation, death occurs within minutes.
Common Causes of Cardiac Arrest:
There are numerous reasons for people to go into cardiac arrest.
It can occur to people of any age, at any level of health, but it will be more common with older people or people who have pre-existing health conditions or unhealthy lifestyles.
However, not everyone will be aware of the conditions they have, or sudden cardiac arrest can occur because of external factors.
Here are some examples that may lead to CA:
- Heart disease
- Arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms)
- Severe trauma
- Drug overdose
- Drowning
Signs and Symptoms You Should Recognise
Most importantly, you need to know the signs so you can take immediate action.
Sudden collapse
- No breathing or abnormal gasping
- No pulse
- Loss of consciousness
If you see these, time is critical.
The Importance of CPR
Why CPR Saves Lives
CPR keeps blood and oxygen moving to vital organs until professional help arrives. Think of it as manually pumping the heart when it can’t do the job itself.
The Chain of Survival
- Early recognition and calling for help
- Early CPR
- Early defibrillation with an AED
- Post-resuscitation care
Statistics That Highlight the Urgency
Chances of survival decrease by 10% for every minute without CPR.
Immediate bystander CPR can double or triple survival rates.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Restarting a Heart:
Here’s a simple guide to follow if you ever face this situation:
- Ensure the scene is safe: Don’t put yourself in danger.
- Check responsiveness: Tap the person’s shoulders and shout.
- Call 999 (UK emergency services): Put the phone on speaker if possible.
- Check breathing: If not breathing normally, start CPR.
- Chest compressions: Push hard and fast in the centre of the chest (about 100–120 compressions per minute).
- Rescue breaths (if trained): Give 2 breaths after 30 compressions. If unsure, hands-only CPR is still effective.
- Use an AED: Follow its voice prompts.
- Continue until help arrives: Don’t stop unless professionals take over or the person starts breathing normally.
Using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
How to Use an AED:
- Turn it on.
- Follow the voice instructions.
- Attach the pads as shown on the diagrams.
- Stand clear while it delivers a shock.
Where to Find AEDs in Public Spaces
- Train stations
- Airports
- Gyms
- Shopping centres
- Schools and offices
- Public Houses
Why AED Awareness Saves Precious Minutes
Every minute without defibrillation reduces survival chances. That’s why knowing where the nearest AED is can make the difference.
Try to observe AEDs whilst you’re out and about, particularly in your local area.
Training and Preparedness
Why Everyone Should Learn CPR
It only takes a couple of hours to learn CPR properly, yet the skill could save a life.
Free and Paid CPR Training Resources in the UK
We offer a range of completely free first aid training resources to help you save a life on our website.
Safe and Sound Training – Our Role in CPR Awareness
At Safe and Sound Training, we’ve helped many thousands of people feel confident in life-saving skills.
We have well over 500 5-star Google reviews from people we have trained and regularly hear from them to say how they have used the skills we taught them to save a life or cope with an emergency.
Restart a Heart Day is a reminder of why we do what we do.
Busting Common Myths About CPR:
“I Might Hurt Them”
A broken rib is nothing compared to saving a life. Don’t let fear hold you back.
“Only Doctors Can Perform CPR”
Absolutely not. Anyone can do CPR. Your quick action could mean everything.
“I’ll Get in Trouble if I Do It Wrong”
In the UK, Good Samaritan principles protect bystanders who try to help. Doing something is always better than doing nothing.
TLDR:
Restart a Heart Day 2025 isn’t just a date on the calendar—it’s a movement.
It’s about equipping ordinary people with extraordinary skills that could save a life. If you found yourself in that moment, would you know what to do?
With a little training and awareness, the answer can be yes.
How long should I continue CPR?
Until emergency services arrive, an AED tells you to stop, or the person starts breathing normally.
Can children learn CPR?
Yes. Children as young as 10 can learn CPR effectively and make a difference.
What if there is no AED nearby?
Keep doing CPR until help arrives. Chest compressions alone keep blood moving.
What if I break a rib while doing compressions?
It’s common, but far less serious than letting someone die. Keep going.
Where can I find CPR training near me?
We’re based in London and offer training across the UK, in dedicated training centres, your place of work and certain courses online.
How can I train online?
Our sister company, eLearn Here Direct, offers a range of online first aid training courses which cover CPR.
If you’d like to learn more, have questions or wish to book in for a CPR course, please get in touch with Safe and Sound Training.
