SWFC Partner with Mini First Aid Sheffield
Mini First Aid Sheffield and Sheffield Wednesday FC Community Programme (SWFCCP) are delivering life-saving first aid sessions to mums and babies funded by Sheffield Family Hub.
The football club called in frontline NHS professionals and Mini First Aid trainers, Kelly and Matt Wooller, after mums attending the Family Hub requested specialist first aid training.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is running a series of ‘Parent and baby’ activities from three Sheffield locations as part of Sheffield City Council’s Family Hub offer. As well as delivering stay-and-play, exercise, dance and walking groups, the Club has partnered with a range of providers to connect local mums to specialist services. In a survey sent to their Family Hub community, the Club asked mums what types of activities they would most like; first aid training for babies and children was top of the list.
Charlotte and Amy, both mums to six-month-old babies, have been attending sessions at the Family Hub for a few months. They explained why first aid is something they really wanted to do.
Mini First Aid participant and mum, Charlotte from Chapeltown, said; “It can be hard to access this type of training. I tried with my first child but the courses were out of reach for me. This type of group session is just brilliant. We get to see each other and share our experiences, we can bring our babies to the class, and we know that we are going to be leaving with some new and potentially life saving skills.”
Amy, a mum from Southy Green, added: “Being a mum with a small baby can be an anxious time anyway, but then when you add in worries about health or choking when weaning it’s a lot for anyone. It’s great to know that we can come here, support each other, share experiences and learn new skills to keep our children healthy and well.”
Mini First Aid are running two sessions for parents and babies at Sheffield Wednesday Football Club stadium and both are fully subscribed. The Family Hub activities will keep running over the summer and Sheffield City Council recently released funding for next year’s provision which the Club plan to apply for.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club Community Health Manager, Sean Graves, said: “Family Hubs at the Club have been a great success. We have over 50 mums and babies who join us for activities on a weekly basis and it is easy to see the value they get from this network. We are thrilled to be able to work with Kelly and Matt, who are both hugely experienced frontline health workers as well as fun and inclusive trainers. I wasn't quite sure how a session like this would work with so many babies - but they are experts in what they do.”
Mini First Aid Sheffield delivers specialist training to children, parents, carers and workplaces in Rotherham, Barnsley, Sheffield and Wakefield. As well as Mini First Aid franchisers Kelly and Matt Wooller, the team includes three more trainers who are all qualified NHS professionals committed to delivering inclusive first aid and healthy minds training in a fun and accessible way.
Kate Ball started Mini First Aid in Leeds in 2014 following the death of her brother and no-one knowing how to perform CPR. Demand grew and Kate started franchising the business nationally in 2015. In 2021, BBC Dragon’s Den star Sara Davies became a business investor and advisor. Kelly and Matt Wooller joined the team with Mini First Aid Sheffield in 2022.