Greenbank Primary: First Aid Brought to Life
Author Malcolm Sweetlove’s must-read book asks of 10–12-year-olds: ‘What can I do in a medical emergency?’
With reviews and support from Sir Alex Ferguson, Glenn Hoddle, England footballer and Manchester United captain Katie Zelem and campaigner Lizzie Jones, Malcolm Sweetlove delivers a book that’s long overdue.
Gaining praise and attention from senior sportspeople, Malcolm Sweetlove’s soon-to-be published Greenbank Primary: First Aid Brought to Life brings to the fore the need for UK youngsters to possess a level of medical first aid training.
Do our children know how to help someone recover from a serious asthma attack or seizure? Do they know how to put a person who is unconscious but breathing in the recovery position or help a friend who is drowning?
This unique book works on three levels: It offers 9–12-year-olds an entertaining and believable story line, it delivers real knowledge; and it conveys that learning can be fun.
A first aid trainer himself, Sweetlove uses feedback received in his first aid training sessions to guide his story development and wrote the book with the intention that it became an educational resource.
With Katie Zelem attending the book’s launch later this year, Greenbank Primary: First Aid Brought to Life is already gaining critical acclaim:
'I really applaud your approach to teaching the fundamentals of First Aid to primary school children, in the format of a story, it's brilliant.' Sir Alex Ferguson CBE
“One of the key things the Danny Jones Trust strives to get across regarding First Aid survival rates is a belief that educating young people in responding effectively to any medical emergencies they might experience throughout their lives is the way forward to improving survival rates. Greenbank Primary School is a book that illustrates that very point.” Lizzie Jones – Danny Jones Trust
“Children will soak this knowledge up and it will give them confidence in assessing and performing basic life- saving skills. Children are not afraid of these issues and as adults will be less hesitant in being involved in giving basic first aid. This book can make a big difference to our ability to save lives in the UK going forward.” Glenn Hoddle.
With its 92 pages, Malcolm Sweetlove has written a book which is beautifully illustrated by Maggie Kneen, and which has the potential to facilitate change. Without doubt it’s a book that will enjoy an exceedingly long print life.
Synopsis
Greenbank Primary: First Aid Brought to Life is a narrative non-fiction that tells a story. It tells a story of a town called Humphrington, a school called Greenbank Primary and the Matthews family engaging with family, friends, and teachers. The main theme throughout the book is 'what can you, as a 10–12-year-old person, do to give first aid in a medical emergency' What are the simple key actions that you could take to help someone recover from a serious asthma attack, seizure, severe wound, broken limb, and even drowning and cardiac arrest? Given that success rates in the UK for survival outside of hospital for cardiac arrest are below 10% there is a need for knowledge especially at a young age. In countries that invest in training young children in life saving skills, survival rates are far better than the UK. This book aims for improvement.
About the Author:
Malcolm Sweetlove was born on 15 May 1957 in Stratford, East Ham, London. Spending 8 years playing in and out of bombed out post second world war buildings, running free with a street full of friends and relatives, reading and writing were not really a priority. Getting the football back from the railway tracks was!
Family circumstances brought Malcolm to Salford in 1965 and he literally had to fight for a position on the peg board. The priorities shifted to Rugby League. Captaining Swinton Lions Juniors from the age of 10, Malcolm had played rugby in both codes, league, and union. He was also a keen footballer and had the reputation as ‘The Cat’ (after Peter Bonetti, the Chelsea and England goalkeeper, and earned through his athletic and stunning save stopping). Malcolm was offered trials for Burnley, Preston North End and Birmingham City but never took them up. In fact, a big regret was being selected to represent Lancashire at Rugby League and choosing to go to work instead!
There was still no sign of reading or writing at the secondary modern he attended, and school finished when he was 15 years old. Malcolm already had 3 years’ experience of fairly tough work. Working alongside ex- parachute regiment member Alan Jones on fruit and veg markets in Salford, Bury, Manchester and Halifax, he learned to graft hard and lift heavy weights with ease. Alan taught him the best lesson in life: on the very first day he said to Malcolm, ‘I never want to see you standing still. If I see you standing still, I will sack you!’. Being picked up at 4:30 am every morning in Alan’s Rolls Royce and getting home at 7 pm completed his initial work experience at £2 10/- per day.
After school Malcolm worked in manufacturing industry in the Agecroft valley before going on to the rag trade in Manchester. Here he had the luxury of attending college in the evenings. Eventually, he sat a degree in Politics (2:1 hons) at University of Manchester followed by a PGCE (merit) at Edge Hill College. He started teaching at Ruffwood School, Kirkby. A baptism of fire that saw him in good stead for the rest of his career.
Malcolm has played many sports. He represented Bolton at squash, rugby and football as mentioned above. He sailed on large racing yachts and was at the Fastnet Disaster of 1979. He plays guitar and sings and has been in various bands. The longest was with Warriors. He has run marathons.
Moving on in his career he finished a 33-year career in senior management in education. He has an M.Ed (Distinction) and NPQH. A complete career-change beckoned. Malcolm is now a life support trainer for the NHS. He also runs a highly successful first aid training company. He assists delivery of the Clinical Skills programme at University of Manchester Medical School. He is currently in training for being a first responder for NWAS and he is part of the vaccine rollout programme in the Covid-19 Pandemic. He is a governor at Helmshore Primary School.
He is married to the wonderful Catherine Sweetlove, has two stepsons, two daughters and five grandchildren, and lives in Ramsbottom.
Price: £12.99
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