Case Study: Donegall Pass Community Forum promotes lifesaving skills in Inner South Belfast

Donegall Pass Community Forum has been working to improve the health and wellbeing of people living in the Inner South Belfast Neighbourhood Renewal Area - one of the most deprived areas in Northern Ireland. With high levels of heart disease and poor general health in the community, access to CPR and defibrillation training is vital.

Thanks to funding from Resuscitation Council UK’s Community Grant Scheme, Donegall Pass Community Forum launched a project to equip local residents and community workers with essential lifesaving skills. Their goal was to train 12 residents and 12 community workers in bystander CPR and defibrillator use, ensuring that more people in the community feel confident to act in an emergency.

So far, 12 community workers have completed their training and are now better informed about the importance of CPR and defibrillation. They will pass on their knowledge to colleagues and family members, helping to create a ripple effect of learning and awareness across the community. Training for residents, particularly those who live with someone at risk of cardiac arrest, is scheduled for March 2025.

As part of the project, the team is also mapping the locations of defibrillators across the area. This will ensure that residents and local organisations know where their nearest device is located in case of an emergency. Once training is complete, Donegall Pass Community Forum will share their findings in the Neighbourhood Matters newsletter, which reaches 4,500 households in Inner South Belfast.

To find out more about Resuscitation Council UK’s Community Grant Scheme and how we’re supporting communities across the UK, please read our dedicated information hub.