Pupils learn vital life-saving skills through Rotary Club campaign

More than 200 students and teachers have been taught vital life-saving skills at Newbridge School thanks to a campaign organised by local Rotary Clubs.

Every year in the UK, around 19,000 people die after injury because of major bleeding.

If someone has an accident, is a victim of knife crime or becomes injured in a major incident – the single most preventable cause of death is bleeding.

Blackwood Rotary Club, together with its counterparts in Bargoed and Pontllanfraith, are hoping to change that with their ‘Stop the Bleed’ campaign.

It is working with first aid charity citizenAID to rollout training to comprehensive schools across Caerphilly County Borough with a team of volunteers.

The hands-on session, the first of its kind in the area, equipped Year 7 students with crucial bleeding control techniques.

Rotarian Trevor Morgan and Rev Lisa Taylor, team vicar in the Islwyn Ministry Area and lead trainer for the Stop the Bleed initiative, led the session.

Lisa, a former nursing professional, was joined by five other Rotarians, trained by citizenAID, and demonstrated how to stop severe bleeding in an emergency.

“This session was incredibly insightful, and our students were fully engaged in learning these life-saving skills,” said Louise Protheroe, PSE Coordinator for Health and Social Care at Newbridge School.

The event at Newbridge School was the first in a series of planned school training sessions, with more to come. In addition to training, the Rotary Clubs are providing Stop the Bleed training packs to schools.

The packs will help ensure that life-saving knowledge is passed on throughout the school community for years to come.

Through fundraising and donations, the Rotary Clubs are working to distribute Stop the Bleed kits to key public locations, including defibrillator boxes throughout the borough.

The kits contain essential supplies like bandages, tourniquets, and gloves — critical tools for controlling bleeding until emergency help arrives. Training on using the kits is also available to community groups and organisations in the area.

Fundraising efforts for the campaign began in October at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, where members of the Rotary Clubs scaled the heights of the stadium to raise awareness and funds.

The community has also rallied around the cause, with Pontllanfraith Inner Wheel members making a £200 donation and individuals contributing through GoFundMe.

Mr Morgan, from Blackwood Rotary Club, said: “We are inspired by the community’s ongoing generosity and commitment to helping save lives.

“All donations welcome – together, we can make a real difference in emergency situations.”

CitizenAID’s annual ‘Stop the Bleed Day’ is being held on April 30.