Councillors and staff at Burntwood Town Council have taken part in a vital life-saving training session we have delivered as part of our Stop the Bleed programme.
Held on Wednesday 21 May at The Old Mining College in Chasetown, the session taught participants how to respond to incidents involving catastrophic bleeding. The training included an instructional video and hands-on demonstrations on how to apply pressure, pack a wound, and improvise a tourniquet to stem the flow of blood.
The course was delivered by Lichfield District Council’s Community Safety Partnership, in partnership with the charity CitizenAID. The sessions highlight the importance of quick intervention in emergencies and equip people with the confidence to act swiftly and effectively.
Burntwood Town Council was also presented with seven emergency bleed kits, containing equipment to treat serious injuries. These kits will now be installed in all the council managed defibrillator boxes across the town.
Councillor Richard Cox, Lichfield District Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Engagement and Chair of the Community Safety Partnership, praised the partnership effort:
“Stop the Bleed training can literally save lives. I'm delighted we’ve been able to provide this vital training to councillors and officers at Burntwood Town Council, who are now better equipped to support their community when faced with an accident or emergency. We’re delighted to be able to support local organisations in this way and look forward to helping other organisations across the district take advantage of this vital life-saving training in our bid to make our communities even safer.”
Ben Adams, Staffordshire’s Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime Commissioner and Chair of the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Violence Reduction Alliance (VRA), which helped to fund the Stop the Bleed kits added:
“I am determined to do everything I can to keep our communities safe, which is why I am happy to see funding from my office and the VRA being used to provide young people with skills that could potentially save a life. The Stop the Bleed training not only encourages young people to think about the risks and consequences of knife harm but provides them with practical life skills to respond to a catastrophic bleed of any kind. It’s important that we continue to talk to young people about these difficult topics and work together to prevent harm.”
Councillor Darren Ennis, Leader of Burntwood Town Council, echoed the importance of the initiative:
"I’m incredibly proud we’ve not only completed this vital training, but also committed to installing bleed kits in every defibrillator unit we manage. This is more than equipment, it’s a promise to our residents that their safety comes first. Alongside the training, we’ve committed to purchasing and installing an additional eight kits, ensuring all 15 defibrillator units in Burntwood are now equipped to deal with catastrophic bleeds. We’ll also have kits on the BURRT van, at our council offices, and at all council-run events.”
Lichfield District Council, in partnership with the Community Safety Partnership, is encouraging local organisations, schools, and community groups to take part in Stop the Bleed training. If you’re interested in being trained or helping to deliver this vital programme, please contact: community.safety@lichfielddc.gov.uk