The React First Team
React First was established in 2007 by Jenny Pugh and Charlie Holmes. More interesting than their combined medical, outdoor, first aid and teaching experience is their unlikely backgrounds; Jenny studied Mechanical Engineering with French and Charlie read Philosophy and War Studies as well as training with the London Ambulance Service.
Why they did not loose interest in running a first aid training after the first dozen courses is testament to the method of delivery and the amount of themselves they have put into developing all aspects of React First.
We are incredibly proud of all of our trainers and assessors. We have a highly skilled team of professional instructors who all hold teaching qualifications, have strong first aid backgrounds, and often a strong personal interest in sports or the outdoors if they are delivering specialist first aid qualifications.
Most importantly all of our trainers are all skilled in delivering meaningful courses to candidates using a context suitable to the needs of the group. This training style, combined which a strong focus on practical elements, are the hallmarks of our courses.
Name: Jenny Pugh
Position: Director & Head of Marketing
Jenny has always regarded first aid as an essential life skill, not just when she is on expeditions but in everyday life. Her introduction to first aid came in 1996 in the form of battle field first aid when she trained in the Bristol University Officers' Training Corps. She has been improving her skills ever since and 2006 trained with ITC to become a qualified first aid instructor. She joined forces with Charles Holmes in 2007 to found React First delivering top quality first aid training across the UK.
Name: Charles Holmes
Position: Director & Head of Training
During Charles' extensive travels in remote areas of the world, Nepal, Namibia and Iceland he experienced many real life medical situations and near misses which prompted and encouraged him to develop his medical skills. Since first training with Rescue and Emergency Care (REC) in 2002 he is now a highly experienced first aid instructor of REC, Immediate Temporary Care (ITC) and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) first aid courses. He has a key role in the operation of ITC as an External Verifier and belongs to the ITC Training Standards Commitee, helping to develop Awarding body function as legislation and good practice evolve and founded React First together with Jennifer Pugh in 2007.
Name: Michelle Douglas
Position: Office Manager
Michelle will usually be your first point of contact. Whether you have a question about which is the right course for you or need a replacement certificate for a course you have previously attended Michelle will be able to help with your enquiry. She manages the calendars for all our courses and trainers so if you would like to book a date for your own course, she will help you with that.
Name: Denis Mills
Position: Senior First Aid Trainer
Denis is a highly skilled trainer and member of the React First team. His broad background in HM Forces, Police and the Outdoor industry have equipped him well to deliver fun and practical first aid training courses.
Name: Maxine Lock
Position: Senior First Aid Trainer
Maxine is an experienced first aid trainer, qualified teacher and walking group leader. She is actively involved in supervising and assessing Duke of Edinburgh groups. Maxine is a keen trail runner and often works as a first aider for orgnanised running events. We are delighted when she has some spare time to deliver Outdoor First Aid, Forest Schools First Aid and Paeditaric First Aid for React First.
Name: Neil Froggitt
Position: First Aid Trainer
Neil has always had a love of the outdoors after growing up on a farm. It is this love of the outdoors and an interest in expedition and outdoor first aid that lead Neil to becoming a first aid trainer. Originally studying horticulture and then running his own landscape gardening business, now, when Neil is not working as a first aid trainer he can be found travelling all over the world as an Expedition leader taking groups of adults and children trekking or scuba diving. In the uk he can also be found assessing or leading Duke of Edinburgh expeditions.
Name: Sean Rooney
Position: First Aid Trainer
Sean takes a very active interest in a wide range sports, and has trained for many years in and Western and Thai Boxing as well as Jiu Jitsu where he a qualified instructor. It was this that lead him to get involved in teaching first aid and become the national first aid coordinator for the Jiu Jitsu Foundation. From these interests Sean has since qualified as personal trainer and sport massage therapist. Sean still has a day job working as a technician in the School of Applied Sciences for a university where he works as divisional safety adviser and runs first aid training for all staff.
Name: Ian Phillips
Position: Mental Health First Aid Trainer
Ian is an associate instructor for MHFA England delivering Adult MHFA courses, and also a MOD TRIM Coordinator. He has been a trainer and coach for 30 years, helping people to reach their goals and maximise their potential. He has supported several corporate health and wellbeing strategies and projects using evidence based research.
He currently commits 4 hours per week as a Crisis Volunteer, answering texts from people in crisis, bringing them from a hot moment to a cool calm one through active listening, collaborative problem solving, and safety planning. Shout 85258 is a free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope. The experience from this work is hugely valuable when instructing on Mental Health First Aid courses.
Name: Jo Lindholm
Position: Mental Health First Aid Trainer
Jo has a wealth of experience in the area of mental health. She holds a BSc (Hons) and a MSc in Psychology and has taught Psychology in schools for over 13 years. Jo is an accredited Instructor Member, approved by MHFA England to deliver Adult and Youth MHFA courses.
Name: Nick Ellis
Position: Mental Health First Aid Trainer
Nick is an associate instructor for MHFA England delivering a wide range of Mental Health first aid courses. Nick’s enthusiasm and passion for the subject ensures that all participants are getting from the training everything they can.
He has been an MHFA instructor since 2014 and he combines the theoretical knowledge delivered in the courses with his own practical experience as a serving Metropolitan Police Officer, theatrical lighting engineer, youth worker with the Prince’s Trust and Scout Association.
First Aid Courses
- Mental Health First Aid Training
- Sports First Aid Courses
- Outdoor First Aid Courses
- First Aid At Work Courses
- Defibrillator (AED) Courses
- Basic Life Support (BLS) Training
- First Aid for Schools Courses
- First Aid Instructor Training
Booking
First Aid Tips
React First is proud to be a certified CIMSPA Education Partner, quality assured annually achieveing the top level, 3-star Enhancing Status. Two of our most popular first aid courses for this sector are approved for CIMSPA Endorsed CPD points.
