Uttlesford: Bleed control kits donated in memory of Liam Taylor

Six new bleed control kits have been donated to venues in the north-west of the county thanks to fundraising by the Liam Taylor Legacy.

Liam’s grandmother, Julie Taylor, visited Saffron Walden, Newport, Thaxted, Stansted Mountfitchet and Hatfield Heath with Uttlesford PCSOs Michael O’Donnell-Smith and Natalie Smith to donate kits and train the recipients in how to treat someone losing blood.

Julie established the fund in memory of her grandson Liam in Writtle who was fatally stabbed in Writtle in January 2020. Three men were jailed for murder and will serve a total of more than 58 years in prison.

Julie, who this week has been shortlisted for a Pride of Britain award, has so far raised more than £17,000 to help get 109 life-saving kits into venues across Essex and London.

The kits, which cost £104 each, contain gloves, scissors, a foil blanket, a mouthguard for giving CPR, a trauma dressing, a chest seal, a pack bandage, and a tourniquet.

They can be used to treat any type of injury where the victim is bleeding heavily.

Julie said: “These kits need to be no more than three minutes apart in every establishment in the country. They are not just for stab victims, they are for all catastrophic bleeds – it could be a car accident or an old lady falling over in the street.”

Just two weeks ago, a landlord used a bleed control kit to save the life of an injured man in Braintree.

Julie is helping to educate schoolchildren about the dangers of knife crime and believes more needs to be done to teach people basic first aid skills. She also urged people not to be complacent as nobody knows when and where a kit could be used save a life.

“People think it won’t happen in their community and it isn’t until there’s an incident that they realise how important these kits are and then they want one.”

Through her fundraising, Julie is determined to prevent more families suffering the pain of losing a loved one.

“Getting these kits out and helping to save people’s lives is my passion in life. You can’t ever let Liam be forgotten. He can’t just be another statistic.”

Uttlesford PCSO Michael O’Donnell-Smith contacted the venues and said the kits will be invaluable.

“Having the kits accessible in the community is massively important. Whilst the ambulance service is excellent, you only have a three-minute time bracket if you’re a police officer or a member of the public to save someone’s life.

“Uttlesford is a vast district and for me, this a just a starting point for where we should put kits.

“A major trauma incident can happen anywhere, whether it’s farmers operating agricultural machinery or incidents involving the night-time economy.

“The more we have out there, the more lives will be saved. We are always looking to make Uttlesford a little bit safer than it was.”

The kits were delivered to:

• The Swan, Thaxted
• Tourist Information Centre, Saffron Walden
• The Temeraire, Saffron Waldon
• Coach and Horses, Newport
• Kings Arms, Stansted Mountfitchet
• Hunters Meet, Hatfield Heath

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