CPR-A-THON 2026
One lifesaving challenge. Three venues. 24 hours of continuous CPR to build skills, raise awareness and help save more lives.
Starts
Thu 24 Sept
10:00am
|
24 hours
|
Ends
Fri 25 Sept
10.00am
Keep it going
every compression counts
When and where
Choose your venue
Join us from 10:00am on Thursday 24 September to 10:00am on Friday 25 September 2026.
Buckinghamshire
Adams Park
High Wycombe · Wycombe Wanderers FC
What’s it all about?
Keep good-quality CPR going for 24 hours
Teams relay 30 chest compressions at a time on a CPR manikin, rotating between members. Mini challenges and “half-time” entertainment will keep everyone involved throughout the event.
30
compressions per relay
10
People per team, maximum
£150
minimum per team member
£1,500
team target for ten people
Nominate your preferred venue when applying. If your team cannot commit to the full 24 hours, please contact us to discuss how you could still take part.
What’s it all about?
Turning awareness into lifesaving action
We are focusing on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest—and giving more people the confidence to act when every second matters.
South Central Ambulance Charity supports volunteer Community First Responders and Community CPR Advocates to teach schoolchildren and the wider community how to perform CPR correctly. Through education and awareness, we can help improve cardiac arrest survival rates.
77.6%
Happen in the home
10%
For every minute without CPR, a person’s chance of survival decreases by 10%.
The scale of the challenge
96,057
out-of-hospital cardiac arrests
(annual total for the UK)
Only around one in ten people survive—but education and early action can help improve the outcome.
Why everyone should learn CPR
A skill for life
Learning CPR gives you the confidence and knowledge to perform CPR and use a defibrillator if you are ever faced with a cardiac arrest.
Taking part allows you to learn and practise effective CPR techniques while supporting the charity’s volunteers, staff and education aims.
1
Learn and practise
Build confidence in CPR techniques.
2
Maintain your skills
Refresh knowledge you already have.
3
Raise vital funds
Support South Central Ambulance Charity.
4
Challenge your team
Share a worthwhile experience together.
Why everyone should learn CPR
Help us raise more than £15,000
Your support helps us continue funding Community First Responders, staff wellbeing and vital community education.
SCAS workforce wellbeing
£250,000
over the next 18months
Charity costs
£1,846
per day
Community First Responder programme
£1,480
per day
Berkshire
£288 per day
Buckinghamshire
£320 per day
Hampshire
£620 per day
Oxfordshire
£253 per day
If you are unable to provide a team for this event, could you share with your business networks so others become aware? Perhaps you could support us with ‘half-time’ entertainment or mini challenges that will be included to involve all those taking part. If you believe that you can support the event in a way other than providing a ‘team’, please contact us to discuss.
A look back at 2024
Mel Bloor joined the challenge
ITV Meridian’s Mel Bloor joined us and took part in the CPR-A-THON in 2024.