In September AACE was delighted to partner with the British Islamic Medical Association (BIMA) to support its Lifesavers campaign for the third year running.
This year, ambulance services supported 14 mosques around the country, from Bradford to Bournemouth, and the day was attended by over 400 people in total, more than doubling the number of mosques engaged last year.
Ambulance staff and volunteers supported BIMA volunteers to deliver training on basic lifesaving skills such as CPR, using a defibrillator, and helping someone who is choking.
British Muslim communities face higher rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and physical inactivity compared to the general population. This, unfortunately, translates to poorer outcomes from cardiac arrest.
BIMA Lifesavers tackles this challenge head-on by offering annual training sessions within familiar and welcoming environments – mosques. It also goes beyond training; it fosters community engagement, empowers individuals, and bridges the health gap within Muslim communities across the UK. It also provides a platform for better connections between ambulance services and the Muslim communities that we serve.
One of the local BIMA leads in Yorkshire said:
The presence of Yorkshire Ambulance Service colleagues and their expertise helped with facilitating the event. The use of the manikins and choking vest reinforced the correct techniques, and members of the public had the opportunity to ask questions in a relaxed and engaging atmosphere.
Wendy Rolls, Community Engagement and Training Officer at South Western Ambulance Service said:
The audience participation was great; loads of questions and pretty well everyone wanted to get involved with the practices.
Lorna Hayes, Head of Community Response at East of England Ambulance Service added:
The women learnt things they were not aware of before and felt empowered and confident they could help a loved one in cardiac arrest.
We are incredibly grateful to the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives and ambulance service colleagues across the country for supporting BIMA Lifesavers 2026. Paramedic colleagues and volunteers gave their time and expertise to support our volunteers in delivering vital basic life support training in mosques and communities.
This partnership helps bring lifesaving skills closer to the communities we serve, and the feedback from participants has been excellent. We hope to build on this work and continue equipping more people with the confidence and skills to respond when it matters most.
AACE hopes to build on this collaboration with BIMA in future months, to further develop links between ambulance services and Muslim communities.
