A life-saving bleed kit was presented to YMCA Romford by Sue Hedges, mum of Ricky Hayden who was fatally stabbed in 2016.
Donated to the YMCA by New Way Tuition, a provider of alternative education, the kit will be located in the foyer and therefore be accessible to the community.
Sue explained that for a couple of years after Ricky was murdered, she struggled to find a purpose. Through setting up the Ricky Hayden Memorial and fundraising for the kits, she aims to spread positive awareness and understanding.
“It was after Ricky was murdered that I realised that there was so little available for those on the receiving end of knife crime so I decided to do something”, explained Sue. “Funding these kits, and providing them to the community, raises awareness and educates people about what they can do to save a life, should the situation arise.
“The kit is designed to be used within the first four minutes of someone being stabbed. A person can bleed out within three to five minutes of being stabbed but it can take, on average, an ambulance seven minutes to arrive – the bag is designed to mitigate this. I hope to see them everywhere as they are not just to be used for knife crime. They can be used for any extensive bleeding, for example after a car accident.
“Seeing Ricky‘s face on the bleed kits alongside that of Daniel Baird, who was also fatally stabbed in 2017, gives me strength and keeps me going.”
Mandy Ward, founder and managing director of New Way Tuition, is a long-time friend of Sue and knew Ricky well. Of the donation Mandy said:
“Some of the kids we work with have been corrupted and through so much, and we simply want to change the mindset of young people. I always cared about Ricky and what happened to him should never have happened. I’ve wanted to make this donation for a while and am so pleased that we’ve been able to make this happen. We need more education around knife crime and the practical use of the kits.”
Cameron works for New Way Tuition and agreed. He said “If we’d have had these kits available when I was a kid growing up in Newham, I am sure I would’ve lost less friends. We need to educate young people about knife crime, and the impact it has. This kit will save lives.”
On receiving the kit, Matt Jones, CEO of YMCA Thames Gateway Group, said: “As a safe place for young people, it feels only right that we should house this amazing piece of equipment. We support young people who have been through trauma and are grateful to Sue and Mandy for this donation. We’re going to make sure our staff are aware it’s here, as well as how to use it. We’re going to add bleed kit training to our First Aid course, so – should the situation ever arise – we could possibly save a life.”
