St Wilfrid’s Primary School in Birmingham was one of the first schools in the UK to educate and protect their community from the potentially devastating consequences of sepsis with our Sepsis Savvy Resources for Schools.

Sepsis affects more than 245,000 people every year in the UK, and of these, sadly 48,000 will lose their lives. It’s the body’s over-reaction to an infection or injury, which causes the immune system to attack its own organs and tissues, and can affect anyone at any age. However, sepsis can often be treated with IV antibiotics and fluids if treated immediately as a medical emergency like a heart attack or a stroke.

Inspired by the resources, the school decided to host a sepsis awareness fundraising day, which included a ‘wear-red’ initiative, and an hour-long lesson about sepsis for all the students. Key Stage 1 students worked hard to create eye-catching and colourful posters, while Key Stage 2 produced informative and exciting leaflets, both with the aim of raising potentially life-saving awareness of sepsis!

The school also welcomed our Corporate Fundraising Manager, Brian Davies, to deliver a special assembly about sepsis to the staff and students, drawing upon his own personal experience of almost losing his daughter to the condition when she was a baby.

Mrs Galvin, SENCO and Year 2 Class Teacher at St Wilfrid’s said “the children spoke with great confidence about sepsis in the playground, and all commented on how they enjoyed the assembly. Feedback from staff was also very positive, and they all have enjoyed sharing the great resources with the children.”

Thanks to the hard work of schools like St Wilfrid’s, we will reduce the number of lives claimed by sepsis, which currently total more than breast, bowel and prostate cancer deaths combined. Together we can help end preventable death from sepsis.