PEOPLE can get free CPR and defibrillator training at the Dolphin Shopping Centre in Poole this weekend.

Members of the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) and Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance will provide information about cardiac arrests, what a defibrillator does and how to deliver life-saving CPR.

The event takes place between 10am and 4pm on Sunday, October 16, which is Restart a Heart Day.

Ollie Zorab, clinical lead for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest at SWASFT, said: “This Restart a Heart Day, we want to empower people to know what to do, should the worst happen.

“I often hear people say they would be worried about hurting somebody when performing CPR or using a defibrillator. In reality, when someone has a sudden, unexpected cardiac arrest, doing nothing is the only way of making their situation worse.”

Members of SWASFT, including paramedics, community first responders and responding officers, will be on hand to answer any questions and show people how to do CPR on mannikins and how to use a defibrillator.

Certificates will be given to everyone who completes the 15-minute training.

Each year for Restart A Heart Day, UK ambulance services, universities, and other charitable and public sector community-based organisations and first aid training organisations, come together to increase public awareness of cardiac arrests and increase the number of people trained in lifesaving CPR.