Mini First Aid

Breast Cancer Awareness Month 🩷

Sharing a little throwback today to our Kate's first CoppaFeel! trek to help raise awareness of breast cancer, in memory of Kate's friend who passed away in 2023, leaving two young children.

Breast cancer can affect anyone. In the UK, 1 in 7 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and around 55,500 women and around 400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK.*

The good news is that patients diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer today are 66% less likely to die within 5 years compared to 20 years ago. Early detection saves lives.

The more you get to know your chest, the more you will be used to natural changes that might happen. All bodies are different, and you are the expert on what is normal for you so, with CoppaFeel! help, you can find out how to check your chest/breast every month and what to look out for.

This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, why not sign up to CoppaFeel! monthly text reminders to check your b***s, it could be the most important thing you do for yourself today.

📷 Noah's Ark Family Giovanna Fletcher Sara Davies Erin Kennedy OBE, Ben Jones and Amy Dowden Carlos Gu

Symptoms of anaphylaxis usually happen rapidly and can be life-threatening. Anaphylaxis happens when your or your child's body has a serious reaction to something you or they are allergic to.

Any one or more of the following symptoms may be present - these are often referred to as the ABC symptoms.*

Airway - swelling in the throat, tongue or upper airways, hoarse voice, difficulty swallowing

Breathing - sudden onset wheezing, breathing difficulty, noisy breathing, persistent cough

Circulation - dizziness, feeling faint, sudden sleepiness, confusion, pale clammy skin, loss of consciousness or collapse

Any of the ABC symptoms may lead to collapse and unconsciousness and, on rare occasions, can be fatal.

In extreme cases there could be a dramatic fall in blood pressure. The person may become weak and floppy and may have a sense of something terrible happening.

This Anaphylaxis Awareness Week, take a few minutes to check out all of the resources and advice at , particularly if your child suffers from severe allergies or if they have a friend or classmate who does.

If you work with children or young people, take a look at our Workplace first aid courses, including our two-hour auto-injector workshop if you would like to learn more about dealing with severe allergic reactions and anaphylaxis.

You can also find information about our new Allergies & Anaphylaxis training for school professionals on our website in the awareness classes tab.

*Source:

Everyone should be able to go to school, head to work, eat out, travel and enjoy everyday life without feeling excluded because of a serious allergy.

This Anaphylaxis Awareness Week, 1–7 October, Anaphylaxis UK is focusing on belonging and the importance of making sure people living with serious allergies feel safe, understood and included.

Throughout the week, they’ll be sharing stories, resources and podcasts designed to increase understanding of what it’s really like to live with serious allergies and to get more of us talking about how we can make a difference.

We can all play a part. Learn more. Start conversations. Share useful information with your colleagues, friends, family, pupils or wider community. Small changes in awareness and understanding can help make everyday spaces more inclusive.

You can also show your support by taking part in , wearing something bright to stand alongside friends, family members and colleagues affected by serious allergies.

At Mini First Aid, we’re proud to support Anaphylaxis Awareness Week and help spread the message that everyone deserves to feel safe, included and part of the conversation.

Has September gone by in a whirlwind for anyone else? Hard to believe it's October tomorrow, we're well and truly into Autumn (no mentioning the C word yet, though! 🎅 ).

Our franchise network was super busy this month; here are a few highlights from the team 💚

Liz Mini First Aid Exeter & South Devon trained this brilliant private group of aunts, uncles and grandparents who wanted to be prepared to care for the new arrival in their family 👶

Vanessa Mini First Aid Southampton was at Scantabout Primary School teaching life-saving skills to Year 5 & 6 pupils.

Vicky Mini First Aid Glasgow was at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow for a University of Glasgow careers day to demonstrate first aid and discuss how first aid is an incredibly important and valuable skill to employers.

Mini First Aid Nottingham and Derby ,trainer Fliss celebrated her 4th anniversary as a trainer for Maria. Fliss is very much a part of the Mini First Aid family, congratulations team Nottingham!

Laura Mini First Aid Norfolk delivered Paediatric First Aid At Work training to Education and Early Years students at East Coast College - well done everyone!

Hannah Mini First Aid Peterborough & Boston was at Bramble Hall Day Nursery teaching basic first aid and safety skills to the children. It’s never too early to start teaching children simple skills that could make a big difference in an emergency.

Sam Mini First Aid Sussex was at White Rock Dental Practice delivering their annual mandatory BLS (Basic Life-Saving) training for dental practitioners and other dental healthcare staff.

Morgan Mini First Aid Plymouth & West Devon was at Boscastle Community Primary School teaching first aid skills to all year groups - a brilliant day!

And finally, deserved recognition for some of our team. Ross from Mini First Aid Dorset was a finalist in the Soldiering On Awards Best Start-Up Business category, and Marlene Mini First Aid West & South West London won a silver award in the European Franchise Awards Franchisee of the Year category. We are so proud, incredible achievements for both Ross and Marlene 🎉

A brand new season of Family Health by Mini First Aid is coming and here’s what to expect!

Join Kate as she sits down with an experienced midwife, a registered health visitor and an NHS paediatrician to answer the questions every expectant and new parent wants answered.

From preparing for labour and writing a birth plan to newborn health, weaning, child development and neonatal care, this series is packed with practical advice, expert guidance and reassuring conversations designed to help you feel more confident as you begin life with your baby.

First episode drops Tuesday 6th October. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode, available on your favourite podcast platforms 💚

Special guests My Expert Midwife - Shop at Boots, John Lewis & Sainsbury’s Dr Lillie Parker | Paediatrician Health Visitor Ruth Watts

Our franchise owners are more than business owners. They're confident communicators, passionate educators and caring individuals who want to make a lasting difference where they live.

When you join Mini First Aid, you're joining the UK's leading specialist paediatric first aid provider, with the backing of an experienced head office team, proven business model, exclusive territory, marketing support and a close-knit community that's with you every step of the way.

So, if you've been looking for a flexible business that combines purpose, people and professional support, this could be the opportunity you've been waiting for!

Head to the Join Us page on our website for more information and to request an information pack, link in comments 💚

The joy of becoming a Mini First Aid superstar! Kids love to learn how to help others, which makes our Early Years and Kids classes such a pleasure to teach.

Mini First Aid Early Years classes are for children aged 3-6 and work with the Early Years & Key Stage 1 Curriculum. Children learn about what happens to their bodies if they are hurt and how they would be treated by a grown-up.

Mini First Aid Kids is designed for children aged 7-11 and teaches how to treat bumps, burns, breaks and bleeding, carry out CPR and deal with choking. The class is practical, lots of fun and involves lots of activities for the children to enjoy and is a favourite with schools and voluntary groups, the class can also be organised for private groups.

Find out more on our website and chat with your school or community group about Mini First Aid classes for kids 💚

We're a few weeks into the start of the new school year, and we can guarantee that some of you will already have had to deal with dreaded nits!

This week's blog is Charlotte's story of when her daughter came home with head lice and includes all the guidance on what to do to get rid of them!

Head lice are back, aarrgghh! The entire time my daughter was at nursery and primary school I dreaded the "case of head lice in your class" email or text message. But as...

It's National Eye Health Week, so a great opportunity to talk about Conjunctivitis 👁️

Conjunctivitis is common in children under 5 years old. It's usually caused by infection or allergies and it can be contagious so it can easily spread around nurseries and school settings.

Swipe through the slides to take a look at some of the more common symptoms and advice on how to treat conjunctivitis.

Most instances of conjunctivitis will clear up without the need for medicine within a few weeks, but please see your GP if symptoms persist. If it's a bacterial infection, you might be prescribed antibiotics. But these will not work if it's caused by a virus (viral conjunctivitis) or an allergy.

Is this something your little one has had or is suffering with at the moment?

* All information sourced from NHS and Healthier Together

Baby Show Winner!

A huge thank you to Grace for sharing these lovely words and photos following her private Baby & Child First Aid class, which she won at The Baby Show in Birmingham!

We absolutely love attending shows like The Baby Show. It's a wonderful opportunity to meet new and expectant parents, share our passion for first aid and give families the chance to win some fantastic prizes.

And we couldn't do it without the support of our brilliant sponsors, Things Happen

Niraj and his team have been supporting Mini First Aid at shows for several years, generously sponsoring our attendance and competitions, including the prize that Grace won.

We're incredibly grateful for their continued support, which helps us give even more families the opportunity to learn potentially life-saving first aid skills.

Thank you, Niraj and everyone at Things Happen, for helping us make moments like this possible! And brilliant work from Lorraine Mini First Aid Birmingham who delivered the session 💚