The community of Helston showed it had a heart when 30 volunteers trained to become instructors in emergency lifesaving techniques last week.

The town can now boast 30 qualified “Heartstart” instructors, following training organised by the Helston Business Improvement Partnership (HBIP) in conjunction with the British Heart Foundation.

This took place at Helston’s Masonic Hall, as the first step in the HBIP’s Healthy Helston scheme.

The trained instructors will soon be available once a month to train other community members in skills of emergency life support, including CPR, the recovery position, choking and bleeding.

Volunteers ranged from paramedics, ex-policemen to local business owners and students.

Michelle Wootton, chairman of the HBIP’s Healthy Helston project group, said: “I’m blown away by the response; we trained 30 people to become Heartstart instructors last week.

“I would like to express my thanks to all those people that have given their spare time to become instructors to train the people of Helston in life saving skills.”

Katherine Bassey, British Heart Foundation network co-ordinator, said she “really enjoyed” working on the project and teaching the lifesaving skills.

Stephen Bloor, owner of the Step Free Clinic in Angel Place, was one of the people taking part on the course.

He told the organisers: “Thank you for organising such a worthwhile initiative. It was the best first aid training I’ve ever received.”

He was so impressed by the training that he has offered the use of his clinic for the monthly training sessions that Healthy Helston have planned to begin in March.

These sessions will be open to all for anyone over ten years old and will be free.

Michelle Wootton is currently finalising the paperwork for Helston’s first heart defibrillator, which should be arriving at the end of this month.

This will be kept in a central location and be available to use in emergency situations when necessary.