LIFESAVING CPR training has been delivered to more than 150 people in the Barnsley area thanks to one dedicated woman.

Kay Parker-Oakley, 46, the accountant manager at Kier Housing Maintenance, based at Rockingham Business Park in Birdwell, has trained 101 employees at the company and in total 161 individuals around the Barnsley and Yorkshire area.

Every two years the Kier Group nominates a different charity as its corporate partner which employees choose to help.

The group is currently partnered with the British Heart Foundation and is aiming to raise £250,000 to go towards the charity and recruit 1,500 Kier Lifesavers to learn CPR.

Currently the group has almost 2,800 trained colleagues and Kay has contributed towards that figure.

“I volunteered to be the charity champion for the Barnsley office so I can help raise money for the British Heart Foundation,” said Kay.

“I was then offered the chance to attend a training session with the BHF so that I could teach others CPR and be the CPR champion for Barnsley.

“I am very grateful to Kier for giving me that opportunity to help generate many life savers in and around Barnsley.

“People that have attended my training sessions have said how much they enjoyed it and learnt so much and now feel confident to apply CPR.

“Most were very surprised how hard compression had to be applied and said it was very useful understanding how to use a defibrillator too. This makes me very happy to know it’s worthwhile and any one of them can now save a life and be able to pass on their knowledge to others.

“It’s very challenging with a full-time day job and training others is not something I have done before but I am really motivated about implementing CPR training to as many people/employees as possible.

“Some of my family and I have a history of cardiac problems so totally understand the importance of being able to apply CPR to try and help save lives and now there are many other people with the same situation.

“I want to help teach and prepare people to be able to use CPR if they ever find themselves in the unfortunate situation where it is needed to help family or friends.

“Also it’s not just family and friends, we may need to help a work colleague or even a customer.

“As our employees are working directly with people which includes many of the older generation, they could have to help save someone’s life who they may not know.

“This inspired me to push to make sure all the Barnsley employees have attended my training session so feel confident about saving lives.

“Without the British Heart Foundation, my dad may not have been with us today.

“Their research into defibrillators and pacemakers has given my dad the chance to have a longer life and I just want to give something back and generate as many life savers as possible and organise as many events to raise money as possible.

“I want to help people be aware of CPR and the BHF so one call can help each other to live longer and better lives as cardiac problems can affect anyone of any age.

“Every three minutes someone loses a loved one to a heart and circulatory disease in the UK and this needs to change.

“I want to help by doing my bit to help the BHF by funding life-saving research and arranging charity events in and out of work to raise money, and of course generate as many CPR life savers.

“Life is very precious to us all and I just want us all to have the best lives with family and friends and I hope I can help achieve this wherever possible.”