Cork's young Aid Avengers on a mission to teach basic first aid

A transition year group from Coláiste an Chroí Naofa in Carraig na BhFear has been awarded more than €11,000 to fund a project that aims to educate young people on basic first aid.

The group, who have named themselves the Aid Avengers, has been working to spread the word about the importance of first aid among young people.

They recently organised an Aid Avengers day in the school that involved creating awareness about first aid for all years, undertaking a survey to check the general knowledge of first aid in the school, and a visit from Cork Fire Brigade who spoke about first aid, road safety, and the different jobs they do.

Network

They also commenced work on creating a network of people in the community with basic knowledge about first aid.

Organisation is already underway for their next event, “Be Summer Safe,” which will take place at the end of the school year and focus on water safety and first aid.

The project was presented to the Young Social Innovators Programme and it is one of four winners of the International Bright Future Prize from the Ardonagh Trust Community Trust Organisation with over €11,000 granted to fund the initiative.

The group’s first purchase will be first aid training aids that they can have available to facilitate interactive practice for all year groups in their own school.

The group’s motto is, “Don’t be a spectator, be a lifesaver, become an Aid Avenger”, and their goal is to make first aid knowledge available to all young people in their community.

The group hopes that in the long-term, other schools will replicate their idea and that first aid will be made mandatory in secondary schools for all years in Ireland.