A mother whose son bled to death with no first aid equipment nearby has thanked Mansfield District Council for its work in delivering 70 trauma kits around the district.
Community leaders, licensed premises owners, and council officers were brought together today (20 February) to celebrate the milestone and remember the importance of why this project is needed “everywhere up and down the UK.”.
The event, held at Mansfield Palace Theatre, saw Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry and Executive Mayor of Mansfield Andy Abrahams welcome guests, and thank partners for their support in delivering the project.
Dr. Lynne Baird, MBE, the founder of the Daniel Baird Foundation, who has led the campaign to install trauma kits across the country, also attended the event to explain why she is on a mission to better equip and train the community to prevent future loss of life.
Lynne’s life was ripped apart in the summer of 2017 when her 26-year-old son, Daniel, was stabbed during a fight outside a Digbeth pub. He received no first aid at the scene and bled to death shortly after reaching the hospital.
The tragedy was a catalyst for Lynne to create a foundation in her son's name. The foundation pioneered 'bleed control kits' for use in public venues and supplies free training in their use. So far, the kits have been installed across London, the West Midlands and now Mansfield.
She said: “It's lovely to be here to see what you are doing here in Mansfield, and you are the third town in the country to do something like this.
"We started the campaign after I lost Dan, as I couldn't get my head around how he bled to death. He didn't stand a chance; no one called an ambulance or the police.
"My other son, who works at the hospital, told me afterwards that this kind of equipment is not available to the public and not in first aid kits. I thought, well, what use is that? The public needs to be aware of this type of thing.
"It's still a struggle to get these kits out there, but I still keep on and don't let it go. Look at the lives these have saved already; they just buy precious minutes. Anyone can use them; you don't need to be medically trained; even I know how to use them, and it's something any member of the public can do.
"We've managed to get over 20,000 kits out there now across the world: Dubai, Turks & Caicos, Jamaica, and Australia. These local projects are what we like to see as they raise awareness."
The installation of the life-saving specialist equipment across the town, which will help stop serious blood loss in an emergency, was made possible thanks to £9,500 of funding from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).
The funding was part of the Safer4All campaign, which has also seen projects come together in Oak Tree to tackle anti-social behaviour and bike theft, both of which have now seen a significant decrease since they became the focus of the six-month campaign in 2023.
Executive Mayor Andy Abrahams said: “I think it is incredible what Lynne is achieving turning the tragedy of losing her son into a mission to prevent that terrible situation happening to others. I want to thank Lynne for taking the time to come to Mansfield today and remind everyone why projects such as this are so important for our communities. Only good things can come about from raising awareness and training up our communities should an emergency happen on the street or in a premises.
“By working together with the foundation and the PCC, we are keeping our communities safe and putting Mansfield on the map as a place of best practice. I hope it encourages other local authorities to increase their safety provisions in the community.”
The specialist trauma kits are easy to use and are designed to complement existing venue first aid supplies. They can be used to control bleeding from trauma injuries caused by serious road traffic collisions, slips and trips, or any major accidents before the ambulance or paramedics arrive.
The kits have now been registered with 999, so anyone calling for an ambulance will be directed to a nearby kit. There is also a dedicated online map available to view the locations at www.mansfield.gov.uk/traumakits (opens in new window).
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry added: “Keeping the people of Nottinghamshire safe often means going beyond policing and looking at innovative ways we can ensure peoples safety.
“To that end it was fantastic to meet with local partners and business owners to celebrate the installation of the 70 new trauma kits in Mansfield, funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire via our Safer4All fund.
“It was incredibly moving to hear directly from Dr Lynne Baird MBE and speak with her directly on her brilliant campaign to raise awareness around this incredibly important issue.
“While all operational policing is in the hands of Nottinghamshire Police, the Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP), convened through my office is striving to provide outstanding prevention work to keep people safe on our streets, and does some fantastic work to help tackle behaviours which lead to knife crime in particular.”
Each of the 70 kits contains a trauma dressing, gauze dressing, chest seal, tourniquet, gloves, and scissors. There are also two kits installed within a red metal box to make them visible on the street, should they be needed, in Mansfield Woodhouse and Warsop High Street.