Women from across Dorset and Somerset took to the water topless at Vobster Quay on Sunday 23rd August, raising more than £24,500 for Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance while highlighting an important inequality in emergency CPR.
The charity’s first DARE to BARE sponsored swim was created to draw attention to evidence that women are less likely than men to receive bystander CPR. Hesitation around exposing or touching a woman’s chest during cardiac arrest is among the barriers the campaign hopes to challenge.
Two DARE to BARE participants following the swim
Women of different ages and swimming abilities took part in the open-water event, which combined the sponsored swim with practical CPR and defibrillator awareness sessions. Participants trained using the charity’s female CPR manikins, designed to help people become more confident about performing CPR on women.
One participant said: ‘One of the things that inspired me to do the swim was the idea that women are not getting equal CPR. It shocked me to the core! It was a really joyful event and exactly what we hoped it would be. It was just amazing to see everyone without a care in the world, what an amazing atmosphere!’
Tania Eveleigh, Events Manager at Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, said: ‘What an incredible evening! The sun was shining, the water at Vobster Quay was stunning and our swimmers really embraced the challenge, there were huge smiles all round as everyone dared to bare.
‘It was fantastic to hear from a former patient and see such great attendance at our CPR awareness sessions. The fundraising has also been outstanding, with two participants already raising more than £1,000 each.
‘But most importantly, we broke the stigma around women being able to bare their chests and receive CPR. Chest access can save lives, and we wanted to create a fun, positive space to have that conversation. A huge thank you to everyone who took part and helped make the event such a success!’
The fundraising total currently stands at £24,500 and is still rising.
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance’s critical care team was called to 2,738 incidents last year. The charity says each mission costs around £3,500, with its service funded by donations from the public.
