Two sixth form students from The Beaulieu Park School in Chelmsford joined a team from Essex & Herts Air Ambulance in parliament this week to ask MPs for support for local schools to access funding for CPR training kits and to talk about the charity’s CPR Smart™ programme, which offers free CPR and defibrillator training to schools across Essex and Hertfordshire.

Zaina Elleithi (17) and Keithna Golla (16) became CPR Champions themselves in March 2026 after expert training from Essex & Herts Air Ambulance’s CPR Smart clinical team. This means not only that the duo can confidently respond in the event of a cardiac arrest but will also train their peers and the wider school community.

To do this training effectively, they need the right kit. Zaina and Keithna attended the Air Ambulances Parliamentary Reception to ask MPs for support to help schools across the two counties fund basic CPR training kits. The kits cost approx. £2,500 and include mannequins and a training defibrillator, allowing them to train other year groups and run regular refreshers.  

The pair are two of twenty-one CPR Smart champions at the school and join a wider network of over 700 Champions across over 70 schools in Essex and Hertfordshire, building skills in hundreds more teachers and pupils.

Each year, around 35,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the UK, with survival rates below 10%. Every minute without CPR reduces the chance of survival by a further 10% making early intervention critical. As part of its mission to deliver life-saving pre-hospital care to critically ill or injured patients, Essex & Herts Air Ambulance is committed to training children across Essex and Hertfordshire in vital CPR skills.

Sarah Slater, Head of School at The Beaulieu Park School said:

 “We’re so proud of our students. The skills they’ve learned will not only benefit them but also the wider community. This is about upskilling everyone in the basics of how to save a life. We couldn’t have done this vital work without support and I’d encourage schools across the region and beyond to contact the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance and get involved in the brilliant CPR Smart programme”.

Adam Carr, Critical Care Paramedic and EHAAT’s CPR Smart™ programme lead, said:

“Early CPR can make the difference between life and death. If we can embed CPR skills early, we can arm future generations with the ability to be potential lifesavers.  With CPR Smart, we have the potential to create a ripple effect of life-saving knowledge in schools and communities right across the country”.

Interested schools should visit cprsmart.com. To ensure delivery remains free to schools Essex & Herts Air Ambulance relies on the support of individuals and businesses across Essex and Hertfordshire to cover the costs of staff, transport and equipment. To find out more or to donate, please visit ehaat.org  

The parliamentary event also saw the launch of a major new report into the need for safeguarded 24/7 on-site hospital helipads at major trauma centres and specialist hospitals.