Supporting Local Families with Life-Saving Skills: Our Partnership with Home-Start Portsmouth
At First Steps First Aid, we believe that every parent deserves to feel confident in an emergency, regardless of their financial circumstances. That’s why we’re incredibly proud of our ongoing partnership with Home-Start Portsmouth, a local charity supporting families with young children through some of life’s most challenging moments.
Who Are Home-Start Portsmouth?
Home-Start describes themselves as “a local community network of trained volunteers and expert support helping families with young children through their challenging times. We are there for parents when they need us the most because childhood can’t wait.”
Their mission resonates deeply with us. At First Steps First Aid, we share a vision of empowering parents with the knowledge and confidence they need to keep their children safe and healthy—especially in those crucial first moments of a medical emergency.
Providing Free First Aid Training to Families
Thanks to this collaboration, our qualified paramedic instructors regularly attend Home-Start sessions in Portsmouth to deliver free first aid training to families. These sessions are designed to be relaxed, approachable, and practical—giving parents real-world skills to use if their child becomes ill or injured.
Some of the key skills we cover include:
CPR for babies and children
Choking rescue techniques
Recognising signs of serious illness
These courses are hands-on and interactive, helping build confidence in an low stress environment where parents feel supported, not judged.
Breaking Down Barriers to Learning
We know that not every family has the means to pay for certified first aid courses, but that shouldn’t be a barrier to learning life-saving skills. Our goal is simple: to make first aid training accessible to all parents, especially those who need it the most.
Whether it’s a mum with a newborn or a dad caring for toddlers, these skills make a difference—and often, they make all the difference in the world.
Why It Matters
Emergencies don’t wait for a convenient moment, and children are naturally curious, which means accidents can and do happen. Data suggests that eight in ten adults (81%) said they lack the knowledge and confidence to act if a baby was choking. By giving parents the tools to act quickly and confidently, we’re helping to build a safer, more resilient Portsmouth—one family at a time.
First Steps First Aid – Providing First Aid Training and Qualifications across Hampshire and beyond. If you are interested in attending one of these sessions please get in touch with Home-start Portsmouth here - office@hsportsmouth.org.uk or visit their website for more information on the valuable services they offer the Portsmouth Community.
Because knowing what to do saves lives.
