Boxing Day at Stamford Bridge

#eventcover

Working for ERS Medical covering Premier League Football at Stamford Bridge.

2:0 to Chelsea against West Ham, fantastic match from the start. Chelsea seemed to have the upper hand from the off.

On way home through London traffic.

Keep safe this Christmas

#parentfirstaid

Keep safe this Christmas, little people like to put things in their mouthes.  Small batteries can not only choke them but burn soft tissue.

Best to keep them out of reach and avoid accidents.

http://www.cultureofsafety.com/childcare/button-batteries-swallow/

Allergy Medication Not Used Properly

#anaphylaxisawareness

A scary thought that people facing potentially life threatening scenarios can't use their medication correctly.

Asthma inhalers 'not used properly' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30556329

L3 Paediatric Course Final Day

#anaphylaxisawareness

All candidates did very well on their final day, tackling assessments and final celebration of learning very well.

They have also completed the anaphylaxis awareness course.  The training completed will support their future goals running child minding businesses.

L3 Paediatric Course

#paediatricfirstaid

Day one of two day level three Paediatric course near Amersham.

Candidates recently qualified and setting up a childcare business, the training meets the Ofsted requirements to register their business.

Lovely venue and really nice people, great pre Christmas, end of year course.

Bring on the mince pies.

Chilly Day at Chelsea

#eventcover

Cold and clear today at Chelsea working for ERS Medical.  No accidents or dramas just some good football resulting in a 2:0 win to Chelsea against Hull.

First Aid At Work Day Three

#firstaidtraining

Last day at the Horse Trust, scenarios and a final celebration of learning to top it off.

A huge thank you to all the team who made me feel welcome, I'm looking forward to going back in January to complete a second First Aid At Work course with more of the team.

Tonight I'm training at Stokenchurch Medical Centre with members of the public keen to learn important basic life saving skills.

First Aid At Work Day Two

#firstaidatwork

Another cracking day at the Horse Trust, we had some great scenarios adding a little realism and relevance to the First Aid At Work training course.

Last day tomorrow, followed by an evening Basic Life Support course at Stokenchurch Medical Centre.

Busy Day

#petfirstaid

A tale of two halves today.

This morning and afternoon day one of a three day Equine First Aid Course for the Horse Trust at Speen, Buckinghamshire.  This evening was a Pet First Aid Course, held at Hearing Dogs For Deaf People.

Great day with really nice people, interested in their subject.

First Aid At Work With SCAS First Responders

#firstsidtraining

Another cracking days training with community first responders from South Central Ambulance Service.

The team have completed a First Aid At Work course, AED and Anaphylaxis Awareness certificates over the last few weeks with today the final day.

Emergency First Aid at Work, The Horse Trust Speen

#firstaidtraining

Cracking day Grommit, a cold but clear day at The Horse Trust's, Rest Home for Horses.  A one day Emergency First Aid at Work course, using the amazing facilities and grounds.

First Aid At Work Requal, BCA College

#firstaidatwork

Day two of a First Aid At Work Requalification at the Berkshire College of Agriculture, near Maidenhead, Berkshire.

Top marks for bandaging and slings today.

Everyone did really well with the celebration of learning to finish off the day.

First Aid At Work Requalification at BCA

#firstaidatwork

Day one of a two day First Aid At Work re qualification with AED certificate, for staff at the Berkshire College of Agriculture (BCA) near Maidenhead.

The team got to practice CPR, AED and choking, with a smidge of bleeding and shock in the afternoon.  Vinnie Jones made a guest appearance albeit on the Hard and Fast video, this was not as popular as the neoprene choking suits.

Day two will be covering sprains and strains, burns with a celebration of learning to finish the day off.

Looking forward to an Emergency First Aid At Work course with staff from the Horse Trust on Saturday, and completing the last day of a First Aid At Work course with Community First Responders from the Ambulance Service on Sunday.

Evening Football at Chelsea

#eventcover

3:0 to Chelsea against Tottenham Hotspur.

A very chilly night working for ERS Medical at Chelsea, warmed up with a couple of possible stretcher cases off the pitch.  Each time the physio's looked after the players and we were stood down.

Returning Saturday the 13th for the Chelsea, Hull match.

Home tonight, ready for two day First Aid at Work Requalification at BCA College starting tomorrow.

First Aid Training with First Responder Scheme

#firstaidtraining

Day three of a First Aid at Work course with responders from South Central Ambulance Service.

Really great to work with keen volunteers, who give up their time to help others.

Sadly it was too late for Bert, listening to me for six hours proved too much.

Basic Life Support Training

#firstaidtraining

Great morning at Stokenchurch Medical Centre running a Basic Life Support course for the local community.

A full house sported a wide range of people and ages joining us to either renew old skills or learning new.

We are running a second course on the 10th December, there are still a few spaces left for anyone interested.

The training is well timed as the local community have bought two new AED's, we managed to include an introduction to their use in today's training.

Twilight Racing at Kempton

#eventcover

A cool and misty night at Kempton Park Race Course working for ERS Medical, providing medical cover for race goer's.

Antique Fair

#eventcover

An early and cold start this morning for the 06.00 opening of the antique fair held twice monthly at Kempton Race Course. 

Working for ERS Medical and wrapped up the hilt it's never dull taking in the stalls and items available, from toys to historic military items and everything in between.

Chelsea Wins 2-0

#eventcover

Working for ERS Medical covering Chelsea first team whilst they played Albion, beating them 2-0.

Back in December to cover their home games.

Evening Flat at Kempton

#eventcover

Evening Flat at Kempton, live on racing UK.  "Hello Mum, I'm on the telly!"

It's been a cold and clear night working for ERS Medical providing first aid cover for the crowd.

There has been some happy punters with big wins tonight.

Level 3 Paediatric First Aid

#paediatricfirstaid

Last day of a two day paediatric first aid course for staff at the Attic Nursery in Thame.  We split the course over two week's to accommodate working patterns.

The candidate's were enthusiastic and fun to work with, the venue was excellent. Sadly I was a little too tall to have a go on the activities.

Healthcare Professional Basic Life Support Training

#basiclifesupport

Yesterday I ran sessions with Doctors and healthcare staff at two local surgeries to update their basic life support skills.

GP's require annual updates to keep their resuscitation skills fresh in case they are needed.

Training Day at Frensham

#outdoorlearning

Last day working with VLM Adventure Consultants for a while.

We provided site specific training for staff from Frensham Heights School, activities include zip wire, high ropes course and climbing wall.

Ropes Course Maintenance Frensham

#outdoorlearning

Another exciting day with VLM Adventure Consultants working at Frensham Heights School near Aldershot.

The day comprised of replacing worn metalwork on the high ropes course and some tree trimming on the zip line.

Adventure Training Day Three

#outdoorlearning

A very busy day at height working with VLM Adventure Consultants at Bethany School in Kent.

The day was ropes course maintenance, including a little pruning, fitting backplates to eyelets and working on the backup system for each element of the course.

The ropes course winds its way through woodland, designed and built by VLM providing a popular activity for pupils.

Adventure Training Day 2

#outdoorlearning

Another busy day working with VLM Adventure Consultants. Staff training at Caterham School and inspection of equipment and facilities.

The ropes course at Caterham School is very impressive built by VLM Adventure Consultants. The staff worked hard on the different elements for their annual training, demonstrating the skills required to take pupils on the amazing treetop adventure.

Exciting opportunities lie ahead for the school with the visionary use of the ropes course to encourage outdoor learning.

To complete the day, the course and all equipment were checked and signed off for another year.

Adventure Training

#outdooreducation

This week I'm working with VLM Adventure Consultants.

Today we were training staff at Sevenoaks School to use their fantastic climbing wall and ropes course.  We also completed some work to improve the anchor system on the ropes course.

Troxy

#eventcover

A busy night at the Troxy!

Working for Michaela and Fight Medics at a professional cage fighting competition at the Troxy in London with paramedics Mick and Graham.

Fighters need pre and post medicals, plus medical cover for the ring.

There is a huge crowd and a great atmosphere.

Paediatric First Aid

#paediatricfirstaid #parentfirstaid

It has been a week of little ones.

Completed day one of the new Level 3 Paediatric qualification with staff from Attic Nurseries in Thame, day two to follow once back from road trip.

A particularly pleasant evening running a first aid for parents course with new Mums from Penn in Buckinghamshire.

It's a worrying time suddenly taking on the responsibility of a little person, some first aid training goes a long way for peace of mind.

Please visit website for more information on Paediatric courses and other training opportunities with Invenio Training Ltd.

Stamford Bridge

#eventcover

Chelsea 2, QPR 1. Exciting match at Stamford Bridge home of Chelsea FC. Working for ERS Medical proving pitch side medical cover for players, with a team of paramedics and technicians.

Half Term Camp with Hearing Dogs

#petfirstaid
The weather held off for a great couple of days training for the local young people taking advantage of our partnership with Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.  We provided an experience of what goes on being the scenes at a leading charity providing assistance dogs for deaf and hard of hearing people.

All the candidates completed a pet first aid course complete with certificate, they spent time with trainers and welfare staff learning about the training and care of dogs and very importantly about the difference a dog can make to a deaf person.

We would like to thank all the staff from Hearing Dogs for Deaf People for their support and help with the half term camp.

BCA First Aid At Work

#firstaidatwork
Very busy start after two weeks in Nepal. Twenty four staff from the Berkshire College of Agriculture completed their First Aid At Work course.

Split into two groups Caroline and I made best use of the colleges amazing grounds and the candidate's enthusiasm to ensure a great learning experience.

There and Back Again

#outdooreducation

Well we have achieved our goals, Everest Base Camp and back.

We have a very tired group of children as well as staff, but everyone agrees it has been an fantastic trip to complete their Gold D of E.

The team from VLM Adventure Consultants and Himalayan Guides have been amazing, guiding and supporting our charges for over two weeks.

For VLM we are back to various locations around the world and the Sherpa's from Himalayan Guides back to work with a new client.

Nepal is a wonderful country and I'm looking forward to my next trip working with VLM Adventure Consultants and Himalayan Guides.

Everest Base Camp or Bust

#outdooreducation #outdoorfirstaid

The weather has been amazing, snowfall could have marred the trip but on the day it was perfect.

An early start and a clear sky led to wonderful view's and a special moment at the foot of Everest, a childhood dream realised.

We're walking out now, should be in Kathmandu on Friday, weather remaining very nice.

Looking forward to a shower and a food meal.

Well on the way to Everest Base Camp

It has been a hard few days, but the views have more than made up for the effort.  We are currently staying at just under 5000 metres, we will be ascending to Base Camp the day after tomorrow.

There has been an unfortunate incident in Nepal, this has not affected the group I am with, it happened in a different region.

Even at the top of the world I am amazed at technology.  Currently sitting in a tea house with limited amenities and you can still find wifi.

I have had the opportunity to practice first aid, nothing serious and I have had the opportunity to learn more about altitude sickness from experts.

Namche Bazaar

Started walk in to Everest Base Camp. The weather has been amazing,  so many new experiences but the highlights have been the views and company of a great team.

We are having a rest day at Namche Bazaar to help with acclimatisation. Well deserved after today's walk in,  especially crossing some of the rivers.

Even at the top of the world work keeps coming in just confirmed an Emergency First Aid At Work course at a local hotel.  Thinking of taking advantage of a talk on altitude awareness by a team of doctors.

Everest Base Camp

A long day of travelling from London to Delhi and on to Kathmandu for a night at the Yak and Yeti.  The trip starts in earnest tomorrow with a flight into Lukla and the first day of trekking.

Met the school group from Bangkok who are completing their Gold D of E, the rest of the VLM team and Himalayan Guides for dinner at Kilroys, it looks like it's going to be an amazing trip.

New Level 3 Paediatric First Aid Course

After a national review the level 2 award in paediatric first aid had been replaced by a level 3 award from September. This is primarily due to the autonomy of paediatric first aiders and complexity of the training.

The course remains similar to the existing course with 12 hours contact time, but there are additional hours for home study.

We have just completed our first new course, it received positive feedback and was enjoyable to teach.

Archery in the Mist

What started off as a dark, misty morning ended up as an amazing sunny and warm day.

Today we demonstrated another string to our bow (no pun intended) as we provided a days archery for pupils of Dulwich Prep School, Cranbrook.  The staff had arranged an amazing day, using the wonderful school grounds to allow the boys and girls to experience outdoor activities, topped off with a BBQ and camping.

This was my third year running archery for the big camp, all the kids were amazing, everyone was welcoming and enjoyed the day.

Busy September

September has been a busy month. Paediatric and HSE first aid courses, health and safety training, the launch of pet first aid and access to two amazing training venues Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and the Horse Trust so training with me well also support worthy charities.

The medical event side has also been busy, cage fighting in Colchester with Fight Medics, National Hunt Racing at Kempton and Sandown with ERS and confirmation of medical cover for Beacon Fest in June 2015.

Up and coming events include Everest Base Camp with VLM Adventure consultants, an archery day at Dulwich Prep School and First Aid at Work training at Berkshire College of Agriculture.

Check out the website for current offers on training.

If I Could Talk to the Animals

New for 2014, pet first aid.  Would you know what to do if your dog was involved in a car accident or was immersed in freezing water?

These guys do.

Working with Hearing Dogs for Deaf People we ran a two day course looking at all things doggy.  Our intrepid dog lovers learned about pet first aid, including CPR, breaks, bleeds and illnesses.  They worked with Hearing Dog trainers and staff to get some important tips for training dogs, welfare, grooming and an insight into the important work the charity does.

Everyone had a wonderful time, made some new friends and met some cool dogs.  

You can't take him home!

Crufts here we come

I'm not going in there after you.

Seriously, what has this got to do with dog training?

Competition rules!

Its not unusual

I have been in the presence of greatness, an afternoon of flat racing followed by Sir Tom Jones at Sandown Park working for ERS.

Sir Tom really is the consummate entertainer, his performance was excellent and had all 11000 people singing and dancing.

Great weather and a great atmosphere led to a fantastic night for all.

Yes, that is Sir Tom Jones.