Save a Life September, St John Ambulance's annual campaign to encourage more people to learn simple first aid skills, is now under way.

This year, we are putting the power of first aid into more people's hands by making life-saving knowledge easier to access in communities across the West Midlands.

A survey we commissioned this summer found that 39% of people in the West Midlands do not recognise that choking can become life-threatening within minutes without first aid.

It also found that 34% of respondents say they know how to stop someone choking by giving back blows, 39% know how to give an abdominal thrust, formerly called the Heimlich manoeuvre, and 29% have choked to the point of panic because they felt they could not breathe.

Throughout September, St John Ambulance volunteers will deliver free first aid demonstrations in public locations and at St John buildings, helping people learn what to do if someone is choking, as well as how to respond to cardiac arrest and severe bleeding.

And for anyone unable to attend an in-person event, we have a full range of free first aid videos and guidance on our website.

I would encourage readers to search for Save a Life September on the St John Ambulance website (sja.org.uk) to look for their nearest free volunteer-delivered first aid demonstration.

If there are no sessions running you can attend, community groups are able to request their own volunteer lead session. Learning a few simple skills could help someone act when it matters most.

West Midlands demonstrations:

Saturday 5 September, 8.30am-10.30am, Woodgate Valley Country ParkRun, Woodgate Valley, Birmingham, B62 0EY, Hannah Foulkes, [email protected]

Saturday 5 September, 8.30am-10.30am, Sandwell Valley ParkRun, Sandwell Valley, West Bromwich, B71 4BG, Hannah Foulkes, [email protected]

Sunday 6 September, 11am-4:30pm, Touchwood Shopping Centre, Homer Rd, Solihull , B91 3GJ, Sarah Percival-Clarke, [email protected]

Saturday 12 September, 9am-6pm, Moor Street Station, Birmingham, B4 7UL, Claire Harris, [email protected]

Wednesday 16 September, 7pm-9pm, St John Ambulance, Off Haybridge Road, Wellington, Telford, TF1 2NW, Brett Smith, [email protected]

Saturday 19 September, 9am-12pm, Ropewalk Shopping Centre, Nuneaton, CV11 5TZ, Rob Bowers, [email protected]

Saturday 19 September, 11am-5pm, Rugby Food Festival, Rugby Town Centre, Rob Bowers, [email protected]

Saturday 19 September, 9am-12pm, Civic Hall, High Street, Bedworth, CV12 8NF, Rob Bowers, [email protected]

Saturday 19 September, 9.30am-5.30pm, Tesco Extra, Clough Street, Hanley, ST1 4LS, Del Lewis, [email protected]

Saturday 26 September, 10am-2pm, Dudley Library, St James's Road, Dudley, DY1 1HR, Hannah Foulkes, [email protected]

Saturday 26 September, 9.30am-3pm, Ankerside Shopping Centre, B79 7LG

Saturday 26 September, 10am-4pm, Swan Shopping Centre, Church Road, Birmingham, Sarah Percival-Clarke, [email protected]

Saturday 26 September, 9.30am-6pm, The Potteries Centre, located at Quadrant Road, City Centre, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 1PS, Del Lewis, [email protected]

Wednesday 30 September, 8pm-9.30pm, Upton House, 18 Lichfield Road, Stafford, ST17 4LJ, Luke Evans, [email protected]