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Restart a Heart Day

Restart a Heart Day is on 16 October 2026. It helps to raise awareness of cardiac arrest and supports people to learn CPR, giving them the skills and confidence needed to save a life.

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Start learning CPR

What is Restart a Heart Day?

Restart a Heart Day takes place on and around 16 October each year to raise awareness of cardiac arrest and the importance of learning CPR.

The initiative is led by Resuscitation Council UK, supported by British Heart Foundation, British Red Cross, St John Ambulance, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, NHS England, Save a Life for Scotland, Save a Life Cymru, and Northern Ireland Ambulance.

How it helps to save lives

Last year, on Restart a Heart Day, nearly 7,000 people learned CPR using our free online training tool, RevivR. We’re aiming to train even more people this year. We’re also encouraging communities in need of defibrillators to apply for one, for free, as part of our Community Defibrillator Funding Programme.

The chances of surviving a cardiac arrest are significantly increased if a defibrillator is used. For every minute without CPR and defibrillation, the chance of survival reduces by up to 10%. But in the most disadvantaged areas, the nearest 24/7 accessible defibrillator is on average a round trip of approximately 1km, according to research supported by us.

You can help by finding your nearest defibrillator or registering your device on The Circuit so that it can be used in an emergency. We also advise making your device accessible to the public 24/7, to give the best chance of saving a life.

This Restart a Heart Day, let’s work together to build lifesaving communities and help increase out of hospital cardiac arrest survival rates.

Get involved this Restart a Heart Day

A woman standing next to a defibrillator

Apply for a funded defibrillator in your community

Defibrillators can improve chances of survival from a cardiac arrest. We are funding free defibrillators for those communities most in need.

Find out how to apply
Person practising CPR on a cushion

Learn CPR with RevivR

We’ll teach you how to recognise a cardiac arrest, simulate a 999 call, perfect your CPR technique and understand how to use a defibrillator.

Learn CPR in 15 minutes
4 school students practising CPR compressions on cushions

Teach CPR in schools

Train your secondary school students in CPR with Classroom RevivR, our free digital training tool. No specialist equipment or teacher training needed.

Register for Classroom RevivR
2 people doing Team RevivR at their workplace

Group training for workplaces and communities

Only around half of the UK population would be confident to perform CPR when witnessing a cardiac arrest. Give your team the skills to save a life.

Register for Team RevivR

Why is learning CPR important?

Early CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Each year, in the UK alone:

  • 40,000 people had an out of hospital cardiac arrest
  • 8 in 10 cardiac arrests happen at home
  • < 1 in 10 survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

Learn CPR with RevivR

We want more people to survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, by making sure everyone knows how to make a 999 call, perform CPR and use a defibrillator in an emergency.

Start learning CPR Get a training reminder
To find out more, or to support British Heart Foundation’s work, please visit www.bhf.org.uk. You can speak to one of our cardiac nurses by calling our helpline on 0808 802 1234 (freephone), Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. For general customer service enquiries, please call 0300 330 3322, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

British Heart Foundation is a registered Charity No. 225971. Registered as a Company limited by guarantee in England & Wales No. 699547. Registered office at Greater London House, 180 Hampstead Road, London NW1 7AW. Registered as a Charity in Scotland No. SC039426