Restart a Heart Day Friday 16 October
We’re bringing together former patient and cardiac arrest survivor, Craig Ormiston, and community organisations across the region to encourage more people to learn CPR and challenge misconceptions around giving women this lifesaving intervention.
This year’s campaign follows a new survey* commissioned by KSS which highlighted 43% of people said concerns about touching a woman’s chest or clothing would make them hesitate before starting CPR. Through Restart a Heart Day, we’re working to raise awareness of the gender disparity in bystander CPR, challenge misconceptions and ensure more people understand that everyone deserves an equal chance of survival from cardiac arrest.
The campaign message is simple: “Cardiac arrest doesn’t discriminate. CPR shouldn’t either.”
Alongside our Restart a Heart Day campaign, we are working with community groups across Kent, Surrey and Sussex throughout October and beyond to help more people gain the confidence and skills needed to act in a cardiac arrest emergency.
These include women’s groups, youth organisations and community networks, to share lifesaving CPR messages and encourage more people to learn CPR and how to use a defibrillator. Participating organisations currently include the East Kent Women’s and Girlguiding, with additional community groups supporting the campaign throughout October.
Other activities include CPR awareness events at Gatwick Airport on Monday 12 October and Bluewater Shopping Centre on Saturday 17 October, where members of the public can learn CPR and how to use a defibrillator. We’re also encouraging other individuals, community groups, workplaces, schools and voluntary organisations to get involved by sharing lifesaving messages and accessing free CPR training resources.
For cardiac arrest survivor Craig Ormiston, the importance of bystander action is not just a campaign message, it is the reason he is alive today.
In June 2025, keen cyclist and former Great Britain age-group triathlete Craig Ormiston suffered a sudden cardiac arrest while riding near Brands Hatch. Craig collapsed on a quiet country road and was found unconscious by passers-by Richard Harrington and Emma Stanney. Recognising that he was not breathing and had no pulse, they immediately called 999 and began CPR.
For 23 minutes, Richard and Emma took turns performing chest compressions until emergency services arrived. Following treatment from South East Coast Ambulance Service and KSS, Craig was airlifted to William Harvey Hospital for specialist cardiac treatment.
Despite spending more than two weeks sedated and facing an uncertain prognosis, Craig made a remarkable recovery and walked out of hospital five weeks later.
Reflecting on what happened, Craig said: “It’s unbelievable that Emma and Richard gave me 23 minutes of CPR and didn’t give up. If they’d stopped at any time, that would have been it.
“Bystander CPR saved me. I was so lucky to have people who had the confidence to try it and do it when they’d never done it before for real. If they hadn’t acted so quickly, I wouldn’t have survived.
“I’m a big advocate for CPR training now because you never know when someone might need your help. If more people are trained, more lives will be saved.”
Richard Harrington believes his first aid training gave him the confidence to act when it mattered most. “Through my training as a race marshal and workplace first aider, I knew we had to call 999 and start CPR immediately. I’d encourage everyone to take any opportunity to learn CPR. That little bit of knowledge could one day save someone’s life.”
Emma Stanney added: “A lot of people hesitate because they think, ‘What if I do it wrong?’ But Craig wouldn’t have been any worse off if we’d done nothing. The important thing is to try.”
KSS HEMS Paramedic Allan McHenry said: “The reality is that if Richard and Emma had not done anything, Craig would not be here. People often worry about hurting someone when performing CPR, but when somebody is in cardiac arrest, doing something is always better than doing nothing.
“Every minute without CPR dramatically reduces the chances of survival. The most important thing is recognising that someone needs help, calling 999 and starting CPR. You can make the difference between life and death.”
Lynsey Grant, Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Paramedic and Prevention Lead at KSS, said: “We want everyone to have the same chance of receiving lifesaving CPR. Earlier this month, our research highlighted that concerns about touching a woman’s chest or clothing can cause some people to hesitate before acting. But when someone is in cardiac arrest, the priority must always be saving their life.”
“Restart a Heart Day gives us an opportunity to start important conversations, challenge misconceptions and give people the confidence to step forward regardless of who needs their help. Through the support of community groups and organisations across our region, we hope to reach even more people with this lifesaving message.”
Organisations and community groups from across Kent, Surrey and Sussex are supporting the campaign by sharing CPR awareness messages and encouraging people to access KSS’s free online CPR and defibrillator training resources.
Around 25,000 people each year suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest across Kent, Surrey and Sussex. Early recognition, immediate CPR and prompt use of a defibrillator can significantly improve the chances of survival.
The message from KSS, Craig Ormiston and the many organisations supporting this year’s Restart a Heart Day campaign is simple: don’t hesitate. Call 999, start CPR and use a defibrillator if one is available.
To access free CPR and defibrillator training resources, visit: Restart a Heart Day – Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex
* Methodology: The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 1,000 Respondents (aged 18+) from Kent, Surrey and Sussex. The data was collected between 21.8.26 – 03.09.26. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. They adhere to the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles.
