A ST John Ambulance first aid trainer from Ludgershall is asking people from Wiltshire to help almost 25,000 adults and children learn how to be the difference between a life lost and a life saved in 2014.

Sharon Kirwan has been a St John Ambulance trainer in the county for many years and has trained a wide range of people, from young children to a 96-year-old woman who went on to use the skills she had learned to resuscitate her husband.

“I believe giving a person the skills to save another's life is one of the most important things we can do,” she said. “A trainer has the potential to save thousands of lives.”

Mrs Kirwan and her colleagues have set themselves the target of training 6,600 members of the public and 18,000 schoolchildren in vital life saving skills, in the south west, next year.

And the nation’s leading first aid charity urgently needs more trainers to teach people all over Wiltshire.

St John Ambulance’s training and community projects manager for the region, Jim Jones is looking for people with teaching or training qualifications, such as PTTLLS (Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector).

New trainers don’t have to be first aid experts, as full training is given.

“We’re lucky enough to have a very loyal, exceptionally professional group of trainers in the region but, through things like retirement and people moving away, we’ve got some gaps that we need to fill in Wiltshire,” said Mr Jones “Training people in how to save lives is immensely rewarding,” he added. “I’ve been a trainer myself for ten years and I still get huge satisfaction from showing people how just a few simple techniques can make a world of difference to someone who is sick or injured.”

To find out more about becoming a trainer with St John Ambulance visit sja.org.uk.