First community life-saver installed

Reporter: Ken Bennett
Date published: 19 September 2024


Following the success of the Wellifest Music Festival and Saddleworth Show, the Show Committee approached the local Community Police Team with an offer to support a local community project or charity of their choice using some of the money raised at the events.

Local Community Sergeant Connor Brook suggested a new community bleed kit be installed in Saddleworth.

The kits are designed to provide immediate help in situations where serious bleeding occurs, offering life-saving tools in the crucial moments before professional medical help can arrive.

Placing them close to a publicly-available defibrillator would also ensure in a medical emergency there would be potential life-saving equipment available at a single point.

Saddleworth Parish Council Chair, Cllr Barbara Beeley, was approached and was happy to support this potential life-saving measure.

She agreed the new Bleed Kit would be placed at the Saddleworth Civic Hall in Uppermill close to the defibrillator already in place.

She said: "The Parish Council were happy to support the installation of the Bleed Kit in Uppermill, the first in the Oldham area, as an additional safety resource in an emergency.

“I think that this is a good example of what can be achieved from joint action in the Community. 

"If it saves just one life it has been worthwhile."

Sergeant Brook added: "Our priority is always the safety of the community and thanks to the generous support from the local Rotary Clubs and Saddleworth Parish Council, our team was able to secure the funding and installation of this community bleed kit.

“This kit ensures vital, life-saving tools are readily available in an emergency, helping to protect lives when every second counts.”

Clint Elliott, President of the Saddleworth Rotary Club, who with Oldham Metro Rotary run the charity events, said: "After our show weekend we are always looking to invest the money raised in mostly local community or charitable projects.

“This admirable idea from the local police fitted the bill well and the support of the local parish council made it a real community effort."

The bleed kit is accessible to the public and can be used in the event of severe injuries, such as those caused by accidents or incidents of violence.

With the installation of the kit, the community now has an extra layer of protection that could make all the difference in critical situations.

This initiative highlights the power of local collaboration and proactive safety measures in keeping residents safe.

It's another great example of how communities can come together to support each other and potentially save lives.


Do you have a story for us? Want to tell us about something going on in and around Oldham? Let us know by emailing news@oldham-chronicle.co.uk , calling our Oldham-based newsroom on 0161 633 2121 , tweeting us @oldhamchronicle or messaging us through our Facebook page. All contact will be treated in confidence.