A WELSH football international has called for people across Wales to learn vital lifesaving skills after being named as a Save a Life Cymru ambassador.

Aaron Ramsey has become an ambassador in support of his Cardiff City FC’s team doctor and chairman of Save a Life Cymru, Dr Len Nokes.

Len’s daughter Claire died at the age of 25 after a cardiac arrest in 2017. Since then, he has been aiming to increase awareness of cardiac arrests and increase the number of people who are trained in CPR and to use defibrillators.

More than 6,000 people in Wales will have a sudden cardiac arrest each year, with around 80 per cent taking place at home and survival rates for cardiac arrests that happen outside of hospital is less than five per cent.

Aaron is joining Glanamman’s Shane Williams – who lost a close friend to cardiac arrest as a teenager – in encouraging people to learn or refresh their CPR skills as a cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere.

Aaron said: “Save a Life Cymru does important work to raise awareness of cardiac arrest within the community. It is something I am passionate about and I’m proud to be named as one of their ambassadors.

“I’ve been very close to Len Nokes, my team doctor, since I was a teenager. We’re all one big family, and I wanted to do something that helps raise awareness and support Len.

“Now I’ve received CPR familiarisation training with the FAW, I feel confident I could intervene if I was in a difficult situation and witnessed a cardiac arrest.

“I think many people might feel like they might injure the person or do something wrong but that is not the case. Even if you haven’t had any training and you are in this situation, call 999 and they will talk you through everything – doing something is better than doing nothing.

“Learn CPR. It only takes 15 minutes to become aware of the basic skills. You could take some time to teach yourself during half time watching a football match – that’s how quick it is to learn CPR. It could be the most important life lesson and the difference between life and death.”

Save a Life Cymru and the FAW are offering free training courses to all FAW clubs, leagues and area associations in Wales and to place a defibrillator outside every grassroots club in Wales.

If someone goes into cardiac arrest, call 999 where you will be talked through what to do including how to do CPR and direct you to the nearest registered defibrillator alongside sending an ambulance crew.

For more information about CPR and defibrillation training, visit www.executive.nhs.wales/SaLC or to learn CPR in 15 minutes through RevivR for free, visit www.bhf.org.uk/revivr.