Summary
A councillor has secured funding for lifesaving emergency bleed kits in the community. Cllr Richard Stanley, county councillor for Tewkesbury Severn Vale , has allocated £1,670 from his Gloucestershire County Council Grass Roots Neighbourhood Fund to provide bleed kits at 13 locations. Bleed kits contain specialist equipment designed to help control severe bleeding in an emergency before ambulance crews arrive.
Details
They can be used in a range of situations, including road traffic collisions, workplace accidents, serious falls and other traumatic incidents.
Cllr Stanley said: “This was a really proud day, supporting the incredible work Kyle Hotchkins is doing through Saving lives with bleed kits CIC to make life-saving bleed control kits available to the public.” Yesterday (October 28), Cllr Stanley and Kyle delivered the first of the bleed kits to McDonald’s 24-hour drive-thru on Tewkesbury Road in Cheltenham.
He continued: “Kyle has worked tirelessly to get these vital kits into communities, helping ensure that when someone suffers a catastrophic bleed, potentially life-saving equipment is close at hand. Since launching the initiative in April 2025, he has helped get 297 kits installed and registered, with 15 lives already saved.
That is an incredible achievement!” Cllr Stanley’s funding will also fund 13 collection points to help fund replacements when kits are used. He added: “We all hope these kits are never needed, but in an emergency, having one nearby could make the difference between life and death.” “A huge thank you to Kyle, to the team at McDonald’s, to officers at GCC and everyone supporting this fantastic initiative.
I’m proud to play a small part in helping make our communities safer.” Speaking earlier this year, Chris Nelson, Gloucestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner , said: “Catastrophic bleeding is one of the biggest immediate risks following serious trauma. A person can lose a life threatening amount of blood in just a few minutes, long before an ambulance is able to arrive.
In those moments, bystanders often want to help but don’t know how. Bleed kits change that. They contain straightforward, easy to use equipment such as tourniquets and wound dressings, along with clear instructions that allow anyone to act.
“While bleed kits are sometimes associated solely with knife crime, they are just as vital in everyday emergencies. Accidents on the road, workplace accidents and serious falls can all result in severe bleeding. Cllr Stanley will be delivering more of the kits across the local area in the coming weeks.
Report source: Punchline Gloucester
