Gloves not gangs: The Wirral boxing club trying to get bleed kids into pubs and schools

Jahmal Williams-Thomas went to Ellesmere Port to find out more about what the community is doing to get more bleed kits in public spaces.


A community group in Cheshire is driving a campaign to get bleed kits into public places such as pubs and schools to help increase the survival rate of knife crime victims.

Wirral CP Boxing Club is raising money to get the life-saving kits to where they're needed most, and have already distributed dozens across the local area.

It comes as a new report found that children as young as 11 were carrying knives on the street because they 'feel unsafe'.

Bleed kits contain PPE, pressure bandages and a tourniquet system Credit: ITV Granada

The joint study by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), HMI Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and HMI Probation said that serious youth violence is widespread, and parents are becoming increasingly concerned for the safety of their children.

"Currently we're up to twenty nine [bleed kits] in the area, which has been really great," said Lee Homes from Wirral CP Boxing Club.

"The participation from the community has been outstanding - the donations have been coming in. We've got a number of public houses that we've donated kits to, so the participation and feedback has been outstanding."

Youth worker Danni Adams joined forces with the boxing club after witnessing a stabbing earlier this year. Credit: ITV Granada

Youth worker Danni Adams joined forces with the boxing club after witnessing a stabbing earlier this year.

"The average time for an ambulance to get to Ellesmere Port is about 8 minutes," said Danni.

"Someone can bleed out in 4 [minutes] so first aid is vital to try and keep that person alive for as long as possible in order for the ambulance to get there to help.

"So I think if there are more bleed control kits in the community, if something like this was to ever happen in Ellesmere Port or somewhere else then someone could be given those extra minutes to live."

She now helps to run prevention lessons in the community, while a local company GoFirst Training are also providing bleed kit lessons.

"These bleed kits are going to save lives, there's no doubt about that." said Brian Coombs from GoFirst Training.

"But there are certain limitations to the kit and ways to work around it so I felt it was important to get that training out there."

The Straw Hat pub in Ellesmere Port was the first recipient of a donated bleed kit. The landlord Craig Aslatt, has welcomed them.

"You have defibrillators outside, these bleed kits are equally as important.

"When I started the pub game defibrillators weren't outside pubs, bleed kits weren't a thing, they are now."


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