Wellingborough Tesco superstore joins anti-knife crime campaign with latest life-saving equipment installed

Anti-knife crime campaigners have welcomed their latest collaboration with big business as a Tesco’s in Wellingborough installed life-saving equipment at their main store.

Organisers of Off the Streets NN CIC have been working with Tesco superstore in Turnells Mill Lane, and a joint effort has seen the shop funding a 24-hour accessible bleed box.

The box was fitted and registered by the Off the Streets team yesterday (April 25) and can be used by members of the public in the event of a first aid emergency to stop blood loss.

Rav Jones and Jane Capps from Off the Streets NN CIC said: "What an amazing example of corporate social responsibility – we can’t thank Tesco’s enough for this.

"To make a difference communities need to stand together. We also hope other supermarkets from the county follow suit. It’s no secret that car parks in certain locations attract young people and there has been social media posts over the last few years around anti-social activity in some locations.”

They added: "We always hope the kits are never needed.”

This is the first supermarket collaboration between Tesco 3380 and Off the Streets NN. Other collaborations between the group has seen bleed boxes placed in McDonald’s, Co-ops, sports clubs, convenience stores, pubs and community buildings.

Earlier this month a fundraiser was launched to donate another kit to Grafton Social Club in Wellingborough.

Inside the kits are valuable resources and specialist equipment to stop serious bleeding that help the community to react quickly and effectively in a time of crisis.

The bleed bags are first aid kits, but are specifically designed to treat stab wounds and the bleed control cabinets work in the same way as public access defibrillators.

Life-saving contents can be accessed with a code provided by 999 operators. The charity says someone who is bleeding from a stab wound could die within five minutes so knowing where bleed kits are could keep the person alive until emergency services arrive.

It was reported by the Office for National Statistics that knife crime in Wellingborough fell by almost 30 per cent in 2022.