Lifesaving kits to be rolled out across Bedfordshire to help people with critical bleeds

There will be 130 kits, funded by the VERU and Bedfordshire’s Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), in accessible locations.

The specialist kits include trauma dressing, chest seal, pack bandage, tourniquet and other trauma care items to allow people to treat someone with severe bleeding while waiting for paramedics to arrive.

The kit locations will feature on the emergency alert app, GoodSam, and on a community map to make sure emergency services and bystanders have access to the kit in the event of a traumatic injury.

Head of the VERU, Cara Gavin, said: “I’m incredibly pleased to be working with Wingman Mentors and the OPCC on this project to roll these kits out across the whole of Bedfordshire.

“We have seen critical bleed kits play a vital role in saving lives across the country, be it for injuries as a result of violence or road traffic collisions.

“Naturally, our hope and the work we are doing is focused on not needing emergency interventions like this, but in the rare case that we do, we’re proud to be ensuring anyone facing a life-threatening situation has better access to immediate trauma care.”

Putting the kits into the community is just the first step of the project.

Wingman Mentors’ specialist youth workers will hold awareness sessions to open up discussions around the issue of knife crime and signpost people to the interventions available.

The sessions for young people will centre around encouraging self-reflection and resilience, and give them practical tools to make better life choices and reduce their risk of getting involved in crime.

Wingman Mentors’ Operations Director Michelle Kane said: “We’re thrilled to have the support of the OPCC and the VERU for this life-saving initiative.

“This project isn’t just about placing kits; it’s about creating a network of local volunteers who care for and manage these resources, bringing communities together in the shared mission of safety and support.

“The awareness sessions offer a space to discuss the impacts of knife crime, explore its causes, and begin to address some of the difficult questions surrounding it. This initiative allows us to support young people at risk of involvement in knife crime, connecting them with mentors who encourage healthier choices and positive actions, creating safer communities and better futures.”

The funding will cover training 65 volunteers – one in each ward – who will do quarterly maintenance checks of each kit and replenish it once it has been used.

Bedfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner John Tizard said: “I’m pleased to have my office involved in this initiative.

“Though the kits themselves are to be used as a last resort, the project as a whole opens the door for wider discussions about knife crime, the trauma it causes and the ways in which we can all work together to tackle it.

“Programmes like these are crucial if we are going to stem the issue of knife crime; engaging parents, using social media and reaching younger children - not waiting until they are in their adolescence.”