'We can’t lose another life': More than £1,000 raised for critical bleed kits in Luton after fatal stabbing
A community group in Luton has started a fundraiser to install bleed kits across Luton following the fatal stabbing of a teenager.
Bilal Nisar, 17, died following the incident at Kingsway Recreation Ground on Friday (July 24).
Now, the Facebook group Luton Keeping Safe has started a campaign to make sure there is public access to bleed kits and awareness of how to use them in an emergency.
Admin of the group, Askar Khan, claims that many people don’t know about the kits, with one not far from the scene of the murder at the weekend.
The Luton dad said: “People were talking about bleed kits, and not many people knew what a bleed kit was.
“We want people to know where the bleed kits are because there was one not too far from Kingsway Park, and nobody knew it was there.”
Critical bleed kits contain life-saving equipment including essential medical supplies, such as a tourniquet, haemostatic gauze, and a trauma dressing, all designed to stop catastrophic blood loss within minutes of a severe injury.
The group worked with the Akhirah Project, a charity in Luton, to start a fundraiser with the aim of getting 10 critical bleed kits to go around the town.
Bleed kits were placed around Luton after a similar push for donations by Wingman Mentors, a not-for-profit organisation that works with vulnerable young people, in 2024.
So far, more than £1,300 has been donated in just two days – enough to fund at least two kits.
Each kit costs £520, including the secure cabinet, making sure they can be used 24 hours a day.
And the kits aren’t just for stabbings.
Askar said: “It can be used for traffic accidents, dog bites or any serious bleeding.”
Beyond the bleed kits, the group hopes to expand the project by offering training sessions to teach residents how to use the kits, and by supporting more youth boxing clubs for young people.
He explained: “We want to provide training in different languages so everyone knows how to use them.”
The group hopes that the kits will make sure people get the help they need in an emergency.
Askar explained: “No parent should have to think twice about letting their child go to the park.
“If it even saves one life, that's the mission complete for us. We can’t lose another life.”
Click here to donate.