Worksafe would like to shine the spotlight on Stephanie Austin of Prima Cura Training who is based in Manchester has been a Worksafe First Aid Instructor for 4 and a half years.
Steph is part of a battle re-enactment group called ‘The Red Regiment’. They are a group of mercenary soldiers that travel around Europe re-enacting historical battles of The Eighty Years War and others, in the 17th Century.
We asked Steph to tell us her story about her role within the group:
‘I am a Pikeman, which is an infantry role on the battlefield. I carry a pike which is a long pole arm usually between 9-14 feet and is used as my primary weapon. I also carry an axe and a dagger as back up weapons which are used when doing hand to hand combat.’
The fighting looks very real and Steph confirmed that ‘’yes, we do fight and we do get injuries and bruises! It’s all very, very fun.’
Most recently, Steph took part in a re-enactment in Groenlo, Netherlands where they re-enacted The Battle of Grolle (slag om Grolle) in 1627, seeing the Dutch victorious over the Spanish. ‘We had re-enactors from all over the world at this event, both fighting on the battlefield in various roles and taking other important roles within the camps. The city of Groenlo itself is converted back to the 17th century and the event is open to the public – drawing in about 20,000 people over the weekend’.
Although Steph is a first aid trainer she leaves the management of wounds to the battlefield medic who performs surgeries on the field to injured soldiers as well as fixing people up in the town.
When back from the battlefield Steph’s professional background and current role is as a trainer in Health and Social Care. First Aid training is a core subject within mandatory training in this sector. Steph says that ‘First Aid is an invaluable skill to have when caring for people in receipt of care services – it means that people in these services receive the best standard of care possible. Staff being trained in First Aid has reduced the number of hospital admissions and saved lives.
I love imparting information and assisting learners to gain these skills, not only to develop their professional careers, but also to have the skills and knowledge to make a difference within their personal lives and communities. I know that my training has enhanced the quality of care individuals receive when being in receipt of any care service. I love that I can make a difference in people lives. ‘