Campaigning couple set to host vital first aid training courses in Burnley

Pioneering couple Dan and Joanne Thompson, who are to host a family first aid awareness course in Burnley, with their son Leo.

Joanne and Dan Thompson, who founded Millie's Trust in memory of their daughter who died when she was just nine-months-old after choking on food at nursery in 2012, are to run a family first aid awareness course.

After the tragedy the couple focused their energy on setting up the charity that is devoted to raising awareness of how important first aid is and also running training courses which they believe everyone should be entitled to.

Joanne, who is from Burnley and Dan, along with a team of fully trained volunteers, now plan and host child and baby first aid courses for anyone, including parents and grandparents aswell as nursery workers.

Thousands of people across the UK and Ireland have received first aid training and two years ago the couple, who live in Wilmslow and now have a baby son Leo, took their campaign to the heart of the Government, meeting with ministers to make their mission, which includes compulsory first aid training for all schoolchildren, law.

Millie's Mark is now the new quality mark for excellence in Paediatric First Aid for early years settings administered by the National Day Nurseries Association and it was created by the Department for Education following a very successful petition by the Thompsons.

Joanne, who is a former pupil of Padiham Primary and Ivy Bank High, Burnley, schools, was named as Lorraine Kelly's Inspirational Woman of the Year in 2014.

The first aid course will run from 10am to 4pm on Tuesday, August 1st at Burnley Fire Station.

Topics covered include an introduction to first aid, CPR, choking, the recovery position, bleeds and burns, allergies, febrile convulsions and seizures, meningitis and broken bones.

All those attending will receive a certificate of attendance. For anyone with a child under the age of 12 months or are struggling to leave a donation, the course is free.

If you are not in this bracket a donation of £20 is suggested. All attendees will be asked to leave a £20 deposit to secure each place that is booked.

Following your attendance on the course, you can leave the deposit as a donation or you can request a refund of the deposit back to you.

Anyone not in a position to pay a £20 deposit to secure your place, is asked to contact [email protected] so that other arrangements can be made.