Community-driven bleed kit project expands across Bedfordshire
Wingman Mentors is collaborating with high street shops, fast-food restaurants and local supermarkets
A community-led initiative to install emergency bleed control kits across Bedfordshire has grown significantly, with more than 140 kits now available throughout the county.
In November 2024, 130 kits were initially introduced as part of a partnership between Bedfordshire Police’s Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit (VERU) and the non-profit organisation Wingman Mentors.
The project aimed to reduce the impact of severe bleeding following traumatic incidents by equipping public spaces with kits containing life-saving tools such as trauma dressings, tourniquets, and chest seals.
Michelle Kane, Wingman Mentors’ Operations Director, said at the time: “This project isn’t just about placing kits; it’s about creating a network of local volunteers who care for and manage these resources, bringing communities together in the shared mission of safety and support.”
Since then, the initiative has made rapid progress, with Ms Kane confirming that the number of kits has now more than doubled across Bedfordshire.
“I think when we spoke last year, I don't know how many we had, but it was probably under 10 then,” she said.
“We had a big fundraising campaign… that raised over £2,000. And then we were commissioned by the Beds Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and VERU to put 130 bleed kits in and across Bedfordshire.”
As of this month, there are now over 60 kits in Luton and more than 140 across the wider Bedfordshire area.
The locations are publicly available on Google Maps, helping residents and emergency bystanders identify the nearest resource quickly.
“The visualisation of being able to see where they are is easier than just trying to look for a sticker in a shop,” KMs ane said.
“They're in Nisa shops, Premier shops, local Co-ops, and even community centres.”
The strategy for placement has been carefully thought through, targeting venues with extended opening hours such as 24-hour restaurants and late-opening convenience stores.
“When we’re looking to place in an area, we look at the shops that have got the longest hours and then we start with them,” she explained.
“Everybody has kind of said, ‘Yeah, why not? Why wouldn’t I take it?’”
The kits have not yet been used in a public incident, but Kane recalled one personal occasion where she offered a kit while witnessing a man injured in the road.
“They did use a trauma dressing for his head and they covered him with a foil blanket. He was on the floor for an hour and 50 minutes, so it was useful… ours haven’t actually been used yet,” she said.
“It’s a bit of a paradox—we try to put out as many as possible and then hope they’re not used at the same time.”
Beyond distributing kits, the project is also focused on addressing knife crime and exploitation through education.
The initiative continues to receive backing from local authorities. Bedfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner John Tizard previously described it as “crucial if we are going to stem the issue of knife crime.”
As part of the wider strategy, 65 volunteers—one for each ward—have been trained to maintain and regularly check the kits, ensuring they are always ready for use.