Staff and students at a university will take part in a 24-hour CPR challenge next month.

From 09:00 GMT on 10 March, CPR will be maintained on a training mannequin until the same time the following day.

The annual event at the University of Worcester is organised by the university’s paramedic society (Parasoc), raising money for charities close to the students’ hearts.

“In previous years we’ve raised money for Midlands Air Ambulance, and we want to continue to support them as they have a very crucial role in assisting the work paramedics do,” said Elise Faragher, the society’s chair.

“We’re also raising money for Heartstart Malvern as they provide training to the community of Malvern and set up defibrillators around the town.

“Their work fits in with the campaign our society are running this year which is to teach people CPR and defibrillator use,” she added.

Last year’s CPR marathon raised almost £1,000.

“The aim of the marathon is to teach people how to recognise a cardiac arrest, perform CPR and use a defibrillator,” said Amy Shadbolt, the society’s vice chair.

“CPR is an incredibly important skill, as early initiation of CPR is directly linked to positive outcomes in a cardiac arrest.

“It’s something that people hopefully won’t have to use, but if needed and performed it can save someone’s life.”