What React First does

React First is a London-based, privately held first aid training company founded in 2007 by Jenny Pugh and Charles Holmes. It delivers regulated first aid qualifications across workplace (HSE-compliant Emergency First Aid at Work and First Aid at Work), specialist sector (Sports, Outdoor, Forest School, Paediatric), and Mental Health First Aid (Adult and Youth) categories, issuing RQF/SCQF and MHFA England certifications valid for three years through ITC First as its awarding organisation. Training is delivered by a team of approximately 10-12 professional instructors with backgrounds in HM Forces, policing, outdoor expedition leadership, sport, and psychology, with founder Charles Holmes also serving as an ITC External Verifier.

The business operates three distribution channels. Public open-enrollment courses are run across 12+ Central London venues for individuals to book online at per-person prices ranging from £90 for a half-day BLS/AED course to £260-£325 for Mental Health First Aid. In-house training is delivered onsite at client premises for businesses, schools, sports clubs, and organisations across the UK on a flexible 7-day schedule, priced per group (typically max 12 attendees per trainer) at £690-£2,990 per booking. Online live instructor-led Mental Health First Aid courses extend the offering beyond London, with blended learning supported through the MHFAider app.

React First's revenue is generated entirely through course fees across these channels; the company is bootstrapped with no external funding, no subsidiaries, and no proprietary technology platform beyond its website and booking system. Its competitive position rests on awarding-body accreditations (ITC First, MHFA England, CIMSPA 3-Star Enhancing Status), governing-body course recognition (UK Athletics, FA, World Rugby), and a 17-year operating track record with named long-tenured customers including the University of Birmingham and Principle Cleaning.

Name

React First

Legal name

React First Ltd

Website

https://reactfirst.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

React First is a London-based, privately held first aid training company founded in 2007 that delivers regulated workplace, sports, outdoor, paediatric, and Mental Health First Aid qualifications to businesses, schools, sports clubs, outdoor professionals, and individuals across the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

First Aid Training Services

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency Response, First Aid/CPR/AED & Incident Management Training (BPAKAOAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Health, Safety & Compliance Training (CPR/First Aid, Safeguarding, Licensing) (EDACAIAH)

Keywords

• First aid training
• Mental health first aid
• Workplace first aid courses
• Outdoor first aid training
• Sports first aid courses

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Public Course Fees: Individual attendees pay per person for public courses held at various Central London venues. Prices range from £90 for half-day BLS/AED courses to £260 for full Mental Health First Aid courses.
2. In-House Group Training: Businesses, schools, and organisations book private in-house training delivered at their premises. Pricing is per group with maximum attendee limits (typically 12 per trainer).
3. Online MHFA Courses: Mental Health First Aid courses delivered online via live instructor-led sessions, with pricing per person or group bookings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

React First delivers regulated first aid training courses in-person and online, including workplace First Aid at Work qualifications (Emergency First Aid at Work, 3-day FAW), Mental Health First Aid (Adult and Youth) accredited by MHFA England, Sports First Aid, 16-hour Outdoor First Aid, Paediatric/Forest School First Aid (OFSTED compliant), Defibrillator/AED, Basic Life Support, and Suicide First Aid. Courses are available as scheduled public courses at multiple Central London venues for individuals and as in-house group training delivered at client premises for businesses, schools, sports clubs, and outdoor organizations. Certifications (RQF/SCQF/ITC/MHFA England) are valid for 3 years.

Product overview

React First is a London-based first aid training company offering a portfolio of regulated first aid qualifications. The core offering includes workplace first aid courses (Emergency First Aid at Work, First Aid at Work), specialist sector courses (Sports, Outdoor, Forest School, Paediatric), and Mental Health First Aid training accredited by MHFA England. All courses are delivered by qualified instructors and lead to certifications valid for 3 years, primarily through ITC First as the awarding organisation. Training is available as public courses in Central London venues or in-house for organisations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mental Health First Aid Training Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid courses delivered by MHFA England accredited instructors, available online and face-to-face. Includes MHFAider certification valid for 3 years with ongoing MHFAider app support benefits.
• Sports First Aid Training 1 and 2-day practical sports first aid courses (Pitch-side Sports First Aid with AED Training and Fitness Sports First Aid) covering trauma, incident management, and pitch-side care for sports environments. The 1-day Level 3 Award in First Aid for Sport, Exercise and Fitness is recognized by UK Athletics (categories A/B/C), World Rugby (equivalent to FAIR Level 1) and the FA (accepted instead of FA Level 1 IFAiF at recertification).
• Outdoor First Aid Training 16-hour Outdoor First Aid course designed for Mountain Guides, Outdoor Instructors, Walking Group Leaders and outdoor professionals. Covers remote environment incidents, casualty monitoring, and wilderness first aid. Awards the Level 3 Outdoor First Aid certificate used for DofE, Scout and outdoor-instructor scheme requirements.
• First Aid at Work Training HSE-compliant workplace first aid qualifications including Emergency First Aid at Work (1 day, RQF Level 3), First Aid at Work (3 days, RQF Level 3), and Requalification (2 days). Designed for employers meeting HSE Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 requirements; CPR and AED training included as standard.
• Defibrillator (AED) and Basic Life Support Training Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and Basic Life Support (BLS) training including CPR techniques. AED training is included as standard across all React First first aid courses; standalone half-day BLS/AED courses also available.
• Paediatric First Aid (OFSTED/EYFS) Level 3 Award in Paediatric First Aid (RQF) meeting OFSTED requirements for Early Years Foundation Stage settings, covering emergency situations when caring for young children. Delivered in-house for nurseries, childminders, schools and pre-school settings.
• Forest School Outdoor First Aid with Paediatric 2-day Forest School Outdoor First Aid with Paediatric Training combining outdoor and paediatric elements. Awards Level 3 Award in Paediatric First Aid (OFSTED compliant) and ITC Forest School First Aid certificate. Designed for Level 3 Forest School practitioners and Early Years settings needing dual outdoor and paediatric certification.
• First Aid for Schools (INSET) Specialist first aid courses for schools including Paediatric First Aid (OFSTED/EYFS compliant), Emergency First Aid at Work, and INSET day training for staff and students. Includes anaphylaxis recognition and safe use of adrenaline auto-injector and defibrillator add-ons.
• Suicide First Aid Training Suicide First Aid - Understanding Suicide Intervention course developed with NCSPET (National Centre for Suicide Prevention Education and Training). Attendees can register for City & Guilds Level 4 accreditation. Delivered online or face-to-face.
• First Aid Instructor Training Recruitment and development pathway for qualified individuals to join the React First training team as first aid instructors. Requires teaching qualifications and a current First Aid at Work certificate; delivered under ITC First Approved Centre standards.

Quantifiable outcome

• Certificates valid for 3 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ITC First LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationReact First is approved by ITC First Ltd as an approved centre to deliver regulated first aid qualifications from the RQF (Regulated Qualifications Framework) and SCQF frameworks, as well as ITC's own bespoke qualifications. Charles Holmes serves as an External Verifier and on the ITC Training Standards Committee.
• MHFA EnglandcoreTechnology or IntegrationReact First uses MHFA England accredited instructors to deliver all Mental Health First Aid training courses. Instructors must be trained and accredited members of MHFA England. The partnership provides Adult and Youth MHFA courses with MHFA England certificates valid for 3 years.
• CIMSPA (Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity)coreTechnology or IntegrationReact First is a CIMSPA Training Provider Partner with 3-star Enhancing Status (top level quality assurance). Two popular first aid courses are CIMSPA Endorsed CPD, giving CIMSPA members access to endorsed continuing professional development points.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• St John Ambulance: The UK's largest first aid training charity, delivering HSE-compliant workplace first aid, paediatric, mental health, and sports first aid courses nationwide. Directly comparable to React First across core regulated first aid qualifications, though operating at significantly greater scale and national footprint.
• Skillbase First Aid Training: UK first aid and health & safety training provider offering regulated workplace, paediatric, outdoor, and sports first aid qualifications. Comparable to React First in regulated course portfolio and in-house/public channel mix.
• British Red Cross: Major UK first aid training provider offering workplace, paediatric, and mental health first aid courses alongside community programmes. Directly competes with React First in regulated first aid qualifications and shares the same ITC First/MHFA England accreditation pathways.
• Nuco Training: UK first aid and health & safety training provider offering regulated workplace, paediatric, and mental health qualifications through in-house and public course formats. Directly comparable in offering, though Nuco also runs instructor training as a core revenue line.
• Tigerlily Training: A small-to-mid-sized UK first aid training company delivering public open-enrolment courses and in-house group training across regulated workplace, paediatric, and mental health qualifications. Closely comparable to React First in scale, channel mix, and product portfolio.
• Pulse First Aid Training: UK first aid training provider offering public open-enrolment courses and in-house group training in workplace, paediatric, and AED qualifications. Similar in scope and target market to React First, with overlapping venue-based and onsite delivery model.
• Safe and Sound First Aid Training: A UK-based first aid training company delivering HSE-compliant workplace, paediatric, and AED courses to businesses, schools, and individuals via public courses and in-house group bookings. Closely comparable to React First in size, channel structure, and regulated qualification focus.

Regional players

• Cumbria First Aid Training: A regional first aid training provider delivering regulated workplace and paediatric courses in the North of England. Comparable to React First in regulated offering but operates in a different geographic territory, so not direct competition for London/Southeast bookings.

Broad incumbents

• Mental Health First Aid England: The UK operator of the Mental Health First Aid programme that licenses React First's MHFA instructors. As the programme owner, MHFA England also runs its own training delivery and instructor training at scale, making it both an enabling partner and a broader incumbent competitor for the MHFA portion of React First's business.

Others

• ITC First Ltd: The awarding organisation through which React First delivers its regulated RQF/SCQF first aid qualifications, and where Charles Holmes serves as External Verifier and on the Training Standards Committee. Not a competitor but a critical enabling partner that sets the qualification framework React First operates within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/reactfirstaid
• Facebookfacebook.com/ReactFirstLondon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/react-first-ltd-first-aid-training

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about React First