A project manager from Watford has been recognised at an awards ceremony for a scheme to teach lifesaving skills in schools.

Mary Smith, of Denmark Street, has seen the Saving Londoners’ Lives scheme - a programme that equips children as young as five with the skills to revive heart attack victims - expand across more than 150 primary and secondary schools free of charge.

She said: “I was absolutely delighted. The award recognised the work that we have achieved over the past couple of years.

“We won £15,000 and that will go towards recruiting another ten or so schools. It is a springboard for us to be recognised for the work we do.

She added: “The really shocking statistic is that if you have a cardiac arrest outside hospital your chance of survival is 12 per cent.

“But if someone knows how to do CPR, you can double that chance of survival.

“Every child that learns how to do it has the potential to save someone’s life and more often than not it will be someone they know as 75 per cent of those situations occur around the community where people know them.”

Ms Smith received the Bupa Foundation Communications Award from Bupa’s chairman Lord Leitch on Thursday, November 19.

For more details about the project log on to www.savinglondonerslives.org.uk.