SCHOOL children from the South Asian community are being given life-saving training in a bid to reduce heart disease.

More the 150 school girls from Islamiyah and Al Islah independent Muslim schools in Blackburn were chosen as part of the Heartstart UK scheme.

The project, run in conjunction with the British Heart Foundation and the North West Ambulance Service, worked with the children to reduce the number of men and women from the Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani community developing the potential fatal condition.

According to the British Heart Foundation, 51 per cent of women and 40 per cent of men from these communities were more likely to develop heart disease compared to the rest of the population.

Heartstart UK organisers hope the push in schools with South Asian children will raise awareness of the disease and be filtered into the homes of the girls so the importance of a good diet and exercise can be spread around the community.

The students, aged 13 to 16, learnt basic life support, how to assess an unconscious patient, performing CPR, dealing with choking, serious bleeding, and helping someone having a heart attack or cardiac arrest during the course.

Mark Evans, community resuscitation development officer for North West Ambulance Service, said: “I am delighted that through Heartstart UK we have been able to train representatives from minority ethnic communities.

“The language and cultural barriers that exist in some communities can prevent people from accessing healthcare services.

"This training is a positive step and supports the trust’s commitment to ensure its service is accessible for all.

“Special thanks go to our sixteen community volunteers and Heartstart trainers who took time out from their day-to-day jobs and travelled from all over Lancashire to give the training.”

Dr Bushra Nasreen, British Heart Foundation community development coordinator in the North West, said: “With the skills they have gained through Heartstart UK these girls have the ability to make a real difference to the lives of the communities they live in.”