Lichfield District Council’s Stop The Bleed training provides life-saving skills to hundreds of young people

On Wednesday, April 30, pupils at Chase Terrace Academy in Burntwood, King Edward VI School in Lichfield, and Shenstone Lodge School took part in the council’s ‘Stop The Bleed Day’, a hands-on event designed to teach young people how to respond in an emergency where someone is suffering from severe bleeding.

The training – run in partnership with the charity CitizenAID – involved watching a short instructional video followed by practical demonstrations. Students learned how to apply pressure to and pack a wound and improvise a tourniquet to halt flow of blood.

It was explained to the young people that actions taken in the first few minutes of an incident can mean the difference between life and death.

Sophie, aged 12, a Year 8 pupil at Chase Terrace Academy, said: “The information from the Stop The Bleed training will help me if I ever need it. I learnt how to help someone in a life-threatening situation and would not have known what to do without it.”

Archie, 12, a year 7 pupil at King Edward VI School, added: “We applied pressure to a simulated wound, packed it with a bandage and learnt how to apply a tourniquet. The training has been really useful because there is a lot of knife crime nowadays especially amongst teenagers.

“The skills would help me to stop the bleeding from someone seriously injured.”

Nicola Mason, Headteacher at Chase Terrace Academy, said: “We are extremely proud of how our Year 8 pupils engaged with the ‘Stop The Bleed’ training.

“The maturity and focus they showed throughout the session highlighted just how seriously they took the opportunity to learn these critical life-saving skills. Initiatives like this are invaluable - not only do they empower our young people with practical knowledge, but they also help to build confidence and a strong sense of social responsibility. We are very grateful to Lichfield District Council and CitizenAID for bringing this important training into our school community.”

Richard Larkin, Assistant Headteacher at King Edward VI School, said: “I would like to thank the team on behalf of the school for providing such insightful and powerful training. The students were a credit to the school and really engaged with the campaign to train every year 7 student on how to potentially save a life. They all agreed that it was such a valuable addition to their life curriculum and they have learned a lot of new skills as a result.”

Katy Foulkes, PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic) Lead at Shenstone Lodge School, said: “I would like to thank Yvonne James, Lichfield District Council’s Principal Community Safety Officer, for helping us to take part in the ‘Stop the Bleed Day’. It was a wonderful opportunity and accessible for all children. These crucial, life-saving skills will enable children to potentially save a life by stopping bleeding.”

Yvonne James said: “Stop the Bleed Day has been run in Manchester for several years and there is a push for it to become a national day.

“It’s just as important to have a basic understanding of stopping a bleed as it is to be aware of CPR. We have been pushing out Stop the Bleed training to local services and organisations, and now it’s time to make sure our young people are equipped with this life saving skill.

“Our Stop the Bleed Day has seen over 470 students trained across the district on how to stop a bleed and maybe save a life.

“I am incredibly grateful to the trained volunteers who gave up their time to help deliver this Stop the Bleed Day.”

“If anyone would like this training or to volunteer to help in future events, please contact me at community.safety@lichfielddc.gov.uk.”