Key Points
- Event Venue and Date: Red Dragon Centre, located at Cardiff Bay, will be working with Calon Hearts Charity in the hosting of a ‘Heart Heroes’ weekend on the dates of 17th and 18th October 2026, scheduled after the Restart a Heart Day.
- Activities Scheduled: Members of the public will be able to take part in free-of-charge, family friendly cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training sessions taking place between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. each day. Attendees will be able to meet characters from Adventure Bay and enjoy free face painting.
- Fundraising Aim: The aim of this fundraising weekend event is to raise money for the installation of a public access defibrillator, located nearby at Grangetown Pavilion. All donations are welcome from the visitors.
- Heart Screenings: Calon Hearts will be coming back to The Red Dragon Centre on 24th and 25th October 2026 at the Fitness Quarter for the provision of free heart screening of people from 15½ to 26 years of age.
- Charity Background: Founded in 2012, Calon Hearts Charity has been delivering heart screenings for more than 38,000 people, training more than 605,000 people in CPR, as well as installing more than 37,000 defibrillators throughout communities.
Cardiff (Cardiff Daily) October 12, 2026 – Families across the Welsh capital are being invited to take part in a weekend of emergency skills training and fundraising at Cardiff Bay’s Red Dragon Centre. Organised in partnership with the Welsh heart charity Calon Hearts, the free-to-attend ‘Heart Heroes’ event aims to boost public confidence in performing CPR and secure vital funds for a new community public-access defibrillator located at Grangetown Pavilion.
Why Are Families Being Invited to The Red Dragon Centre in Cardiff?
As reported by Rhys Gregory of Wales 247, families are being welcomed to The Red Dragon Centre in Cardiff Bay on 17 and 18 October 2026 to engage in lifesaving CPR workshops. The initiative directly follows Restart a Heart Day, intending to familiarise children, parents, and community members with fundamental emergency responses that require no previous experience.
Speaking about the collaborative initiative, Emma Constantinou, spokesperson for The Red Dragon Centre, stated that:
“We’re delighted to be working with Calon Hearts to bring this important message to our local community. We hope families will join us for a fun weekend, learn some potentially lifesaving skills and help us raise funds for a new community defibrillator.”
Alongside the practical emergency workshops running from 12 pm to 4 pm each day, the weekend features entertainment geared toward younger visitors, including appearances from two special heroes originating from Adventure Bay and free face painting. Organisers have noted that while the workshops and entertainment are free, voluntary donations are strongly encouraged to support the acquisition and installation of the new public-access defibrillator at Grangetown Pavilion.
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What Impact Does Calon Hearts Hope to Achieve Through the Event?
As reported by Rhys Gregory of Wales 247, Sharon Owen, CEO and Founder of Calon Hearts, emphasised the life-or-death value of public preparedness during medical emergencies. Sharon Owen stated that:
“At Calon Hearts, we know just how important it is for people to have the confidence to act in an emergency. Knowing how to perform CPR and having access to a defibrillator could mean the difference between life and death.”
Further detailing the importance of community partnerships, Sharon Owen stated that:
“We’re delighted to be working with The Red Dragon Centre to give families the chance to learn these lifesaving skills while helping to raise funds for a new community defibrillator. You never know when you might need to step in and help save someone’s life.”
The charity’s ongoing operational footprint in Wales highlights its significant role in public health infrastructure. Established in 2012, Calon Hearts has delivered heart screenings to over 38,000 individuals, trained upwards of 605,000 people in CPR techniques, and helped position more than 37,000 defibrillators throughout Welsh communities. Furthermore, during the 2025/26 period alone, 118 individuals were referred for specialized cardiology investigations following detection during a Calon Hearts screening session.
What Additional Health Services Are Being Offered Later in October?
As reported by Rhys Gregory of Wales 247, the initiative extends beyond the initial weekend workshops, with Calon Hearts scheduled to return to The Red Dragon Centre on 24 and 25 October 2026. During this subsequent weekend, free heart screening sessions will be hosted at Fitness Quarter for young people aged 15½ to 26 years.
Highlighting the preventive philosophy of the charity, Sharon Owen stated that: “At Calon Hearts, we believe prevention is just as important as knowing what to do in an emergency, and we want to encourage as many young people as possible to take advantage of this opportunity to get their hearts checked.”
Background of the Particular Development
The announcement of the Heart Heroes weekend at The Red Dragon Centre sits within a broader, long-standing public health movement across the United Kingdom to improve out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates through widespread public education and accessible defibrillator placement. Historically, sudden cardiac arrest remains one of the leading causes of premature death, where immediate bystander intervention via chest compressions and early defibrillation drastically increases a patient’s probability of survival. Initiatives like Restart a Heart Day, promoted internationally and heavily supported across Wales by organisations such as Calon Hearts, seek to dismantle the hesitation members of the general public often feel when confronted with medical emergencies. By integrating these critical health messages into accessible community leisure spaces like Cardiff Bay’s Red Dragon Centre, local charities and commercial venues bridge the gap between clinical health campaigns and everyday family life, ensuring grassroots participation in regional safety networks.
This development is expected to have a tangible, positive impact on families, young people, and local residents across Cardiff and the surrounding Grangetown area. By lowering the psychological and practical barriers associated with emergency medical response, the free CPR workshops will likely empower hundreds of citizens with the direct confidence needed to act decisively during a crisis. For the immediate Grangetown community, the successful fundraising drive will secure an additional, highly vital public-access defibrillator, shrinking emergency response time windows where every second counts. Furthermore, the targeted heart screenings scheduled for young people aged 15½ to 26 at Fitness Quarter offer a proactive clinical safety net, potentially identifying underlying, asymptomatic cardiac conditions early and facilitating timely cardiology referrals—mirroring the successful referral pathways that have previously safeguarded over a hundred young lives across Wales.
