Thousands of young people could gain lifesaving skills as Ceredigion schools introduce free CPR and defibrillator training.

The initiative, announced by Ceredigion County Council on Thursday, 29 October, will provide practical emergency response training to pupils throughout the 2026/27 academic year.

All Year 8 and Year 10 pupils attending the county's secondary and through-age schools will receive face-to-face training, alongside young people attending Ceredigion's Pupil Referral Unit.

The programme has been developed through a partnership involving the council's School Services, Save a Life Cymru, the Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust and the Football Association of Wales (FAW).

Pupils will learn how to recognise a cardiac arrest, administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and operate an automated external defibrillator (AED).

The training aims to equip young people with the confidence to respond during medical emergencies before professional assistance arrives.

More than 40,000 people experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest across the UK annually, according to the Welsh Ambulance Service, with fewer than one in ten surviving.

Immediate CPR and early defibrillator use can more than double a person's chances of survival.

Funding for the Ceredigion initiative has been provided through the FAW National Teams Players' Fund.

Councillor Wyn Thomas, Ceredigion's Cabinet Member for Schools, Lifelong Learning and Skills, welcomed the partnership. He said the programme would help pupils develop practical abilities while contributing to safer communities.

Andrew Lindley, the FAW's Head of Medical Education, said: "Anyone can save a life." He added that giving young people the confidence to recognise an emergency and respond appropriately could make a significant difference.

The programme coincides with Shoctober, Save a Life Cymru's annual campaign encouraging people to learn CPR and become familiar with defibrillators. The shoctober campaign also teaches primary pupils what happens when someone calls 999 for emergency help.

Training will continue throughout the current academic year.