THE safety equipment carried on board Ross-on-Wye Town Council’s amenities vehicle has been enhanced thanks to an emergency bleed control kit donated by the town’s Lions Club.

The specialist kit is designed to help control catastrophic bleeding in the critical moments before emergency services arrive.

Unlike a standard first aid kit, the emergency bleed control kit is intended for life-threatening situations involving severe bleeding, such as those resulting from serious accidents, falls, sporting injuries or incidents involving knives.

The kits contain military-grade equipment, supported through the Baird Foundation, to help provide immediate treatment that could potentially save a life.

This forms part of Ross Lions Club's Community Service project, led by Community Service chairman, who identified the need for these specialist kits within the local community.

The Club launched its ambitious "26 for 2026" initiative, aiming to install 26 emergency bleed control kits at locations across the greater Ross-on-Wye area.

And thanks to the support of local organisations and businesses, that includes a number of public houses, that target has already been exceeded.

Ross Lions Club continues to work with organisations across the town to improve community resilience by increasing the availability of life-saving emergency bleed control equipment.

A spokesperson for Ross Town Council said that it is proud to support initiatives that help make the town a safer place for residents and visitors alike.

At the project’s launch Lion Keith Wilding said that the initiative started because of the concern over knife crime and the way it affects so many lives, adding: “We continually hear about communities being affected and people saying, ‘we’ve never had any trouble like this around here before’ or ‘this is a lovely town’. Unfortunately, serious incidents can happen anywhere.”