School pupils across Merseyside take part in life‑saving skills training

13 secondary schools across the region are taking part, with around 2,200 pupils learning how to recognise and respond to a life‑threatening bleed.

The initiative is part of a wider national effort to empower young people with the confidence and knowledge to act quickly in an emergency.

Stop the Bleed Day focuses on simple, practical techniques that can make the difference between life and death following serious injury, accidents or violence. Injury remains the leading cause of death among children and young adults under 40, and uncontrolled bleeding is the single most preventable cause of death following trauma.

Throughout the day, pupils are taking part in short, engaging training sessions designed to fit easily into the school day. These sessions teach young people how to:

·       Recognise a life‑threatening bleed

·       Apply direct pressure correctly

·       Pack a wound

·       Improvise a tourniquet

Stop the Bleed Day in Merseyside is being supported by the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership (MVRP), working alongside partners KnifeSavers, citizenAID and the Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit (GMVRU). Together, they aim to reach as many young people as possible in one coordinated day of action.

KnifeSavers founder and consultant trauma surgeon at Merseyside’s Major Trauma Centre, based at Aintree University Hospital, Nikhil Misra, said:

“KnifeSavers was founded on the belief that anyone can save a life with the right knowledge. Stop the Bleed Day gives young people essential skills in a hands‑on, memorable way, and today’s response from Merseyside schools shows just how engaged and capable young people are when given these opportunities.”

Nigel Barraclough, Paramedic and National Project Lead for Stop the Bleed Day, said:

“A person can bleed out in less than five minutes, yet the skills to prevent this are remarkably simple. By empowering young people with this knowledge today, schools across Merseyside are giving them the tools to save lives when every second counts.”

Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell said:

“Early intervention is at the heart of everything we do and Stop the Bleed Day is a powerful example of prevention in action. By teaching young people practical, life‑saving skills, we are not only preparing them for emergencies but also helping them understand the real‑life consequences of violence in a safe and constructive way.

“We’re proud to be working with our partners at KnifeSavers to support this initiative. The training is easy to deliver, impactful and completely free for schools, and today we want as many pupils as possible across Merseyside to benefit.”

Stop the Bleed Day takes place nationally once a year, with the ambition of training tens of thousands of young people in a single day.

Today’s participation highlights Merseyside’s collective commitment to early intervention, prevention and equipping young people with skills they may one day use to save a life.

Find out more Stop the Bleed Day here.

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