A MUM who launched a community project to teach life-saving skills to parents after saving her own daughter’s life has been crowned as an ‘everyday hero’.

Natasha Jones has won the ‘Yours’ Community First Aid Champion category of the St John Ambulance Everyday Heroes awards.

Natasha Jones, 39, set up ‘Baby Resuscitation’ in 2011, after her youngest daughter, Ava-Mai, almost died when she was just 11 weeks old.

Like any other day, Natasha had put Ava-Mai down for a nap. When she went to check on her, she found she had stopped breathing and had turned blue. Guided only by instinct and TV portrayals of CPR, Natasha managed to successfully resuscitate Ava-Mai. After a frantic wait for an ambulance, Natasha and husband Karl were told their daughter’s ordeal was ‘near-miss cot death’.?

Ava-Mai is now a happy, healthy seven-year-old, and to help prevent other parents or carers feeling helpless, Natasha set up ‘Baby Resuscitation’.?

The not-for-profit community project offers resuscitation training to parents, grandparents and carers of children and babies.? Her efforts have directly contributed to saving lives, and over 900 people have attended the courses.? Natasha has also worked with the Resuscitation Council to have guidelines put in place as to what should be taught to parents; with South Central Ambulance Service to have changes to responder protocols; and recently worked with St John Ambulance to help encourage people to learn baby CPR.? Natasha is currently petitioning to get baby and child CPR as part of anti or post-natal care.?

Natasha was among ten other winners celebrated at the exclusive awards ceremony at the Hilton London Bankside.?

On winning the award, she said: “I think I just did what any mum would do. It feels overwhelming to be presented with this award and to be here tonight is amazing. Every parent should know first aid, so they know what to do in any scenario.”

The annual Everyday Heroes Awards, supported by Laerdal, celebrated the nation's life savers, honouring community heroes, organisations and members of the public who have used first aid to help others.??

The star-studded awards were hosted by TV presenter and best-selling author, Katie Piper, who as an acid attack survivor and a parent understands the importance of having life saving skills.