Restart A Heart

Every year St Andrew’s First Aid volunteers deliver CPR and defibrillator demonstrations during the month of October across Scotland, to raise awareness of cardiac arrests, what to do when one happens and how to use a defibrillator.

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What is Restart a Heart Month?

Restart A Heart Month is all about raising awareness of what an out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is, what that looks like, and how with roughly 15mins of training we can all learn how to save a life.

Every year in Scotland an average of 3140 people suffer an out of hospital cardiac arrest, with only one in ten surviving and the fact that early CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chance of survival, knowing these skills can have a huge positive impact on survival rates.

With 80% of all out of hospital cardiac arrests occurring in the home, it means that if you ever witness a cardiac arrest, it is more likely to be someone that you know, someone that you love and care about. This is why it is so important to learn how to perform CPR and use a defibrillator!

Where can I learn CPR for Restart a Heart Month?

Check out the calendar below to explore our upcoming public CPR and defibrillator demonstrations near you. Click on the event for full address information and to add to your digital calendar!

If you want to book a CPR and defibrillator session for a group this October please use our online form. Please note as this is a volunteer led service and is subject to volunteer availability.

Whilst our public and volunteer sessions can be attended for free we encourage donations where possible to support our ongoing community education activities.

You can donate here if you want to support this campaign and ongoing community education activities.

Restart a Heart Live – Wednesday 1 October 2025

A free, live-streamed CPR event for everyone

Be part of a UK-wide effort to save lives. Restart a Heart Live runs 09:00 – 21:00, with 25-minute sessions starting on the hour every hour.
No equipment needed—just a cushion, jacket in a bag or teddy to practise on.

  • Who can join? Anyone! Perfect for individuals, families, community groups, and schools.
  • Why take part? Learn lifesaving CPR skills and help set another record for the most people trained in a single day.
  • How to register: Sign up here

Let’s help train thousands together and help every community be ready to restart a heart!

Watch our expert trainer, Martyn, demonstrate life-saving CPR techniques. Knowing how to perform CPR can make all the difference in an emergency, helping to restart a heart and save a life. In the video below, Martyn walks you through the key steps to take when someone is in cardiac arrest, ensuring you’re equipped with the confidence and knowledge to act swiftly in a critical moment.

View and Download our Community Engagement CPR & Defibrillation Guide below:

The leaflet is also available in: Arabic · Hindi · Farsi/Persian · Punjabi · Urdu · Ukrainian · Scots Gaelic.

Our Community Engagement Learning Resources page provides an extensive range of free tools to help you learn and share vital first aid skills. From CPR and Baby & Child First Aid to translated guides and visual posters, all materials are easy to access, download and use.

If you have any questions or would like to find out more information – please contact a member of the Community Engagement team by emailing [email protected] or calling 0141 332 4031