Man whose father was stabbed to death helps install life-saving bleed control kits at Millwall FC

A man whose father was stabbed to death in front of him when he was just 12 years old has helped to install bleed control kits at Millwall FC’s home ground.

The kits have been installed at Millwall Community Trust and The Den, providing 24/7 access to life-saving first aid treatment in the event of a traumatic bleed injury.

The kits were donated to the club by Matt Lane, who is on a mission to get bleed control kits placed in as many communities as possible, and Mere Supplies Ltd, providers of the equipment.

Just two days before his 13th birthday, Mr Lane watched helplessly as his dad, Steve Lane, was attacked by a gang outside their home.

Mr Lane started his campaign after what happened to his dad and reading about a rise in knife crime in the news.

Mr Lane, who lives in Dartford and whose son is a Millwall fan, raised money for the cabinets, while Mere Supplies donated the kits.

Mr Lane said: “I got to thinking about this a few months ago when I found my dad’s post-mortem papers during a house move. At the same time, the news is constantly full of stabbings and knife-related deaths, including in my local area.

“I just wanted to do something to make a difference. My dad was stabbed many times and I’m not saying that one of these kits would have saved him, but I know the devastating impact of losing someone in this way.

“Sadly, there seems to be so many stabbings taking place these days, and ambulances can’t always attend straight away, yet the first few minutes after a knife wound are vital – and if I can save just one life, then it’s worth it.

“My son and father-in-law watch matches at Millwall regularly so it was one of the locations I decided to reach out to and I’m delighted they share my passion.”

The kits were unveiled by Millwall players Zian Flemming and George Saville, who are the team’s community ambassadors.

Millwall Community Trust provides outreach services across Lewisham and Southwark, in health, unemployment, education and crime prevention.

Sean Daly, Millwall Community Trust chief executive, said: “We are supportive of all initiatives that keep our community safe and healthy. We have a lot of footfall within the community centre and surrounding areas, and this bleed control kit can provide that vital life-saving treatment should the worst happen.”

Through Mr Lane’s fundraising efforts, 11 kits have already been placed in and around London and Kent, in memory of Steve, including nine schools, a pub, a business and a high street.

His preferred bleed control kit is from Mere Supplies Ltd, a company founded by paramedics Kyle Raffo and Bradley Sadat-Shafai.

They developed them after realising, through 10 years of frontline emergency service, that most first aid kits aren’t fit for purpose in the event of a stabbing or other traumatic bleed injury.

They are on their own mission to halt deaths from knife crime by donating 100 kits to communities across the UK.

After hearing about Mr Lane’s campaign, Mere Supplies decided to pledge 10 bleed control kits and training on how to use them, to his cause.

Kyle, who appeared in several series of Channel 4’s fly-on-the-wall documentary 999: On the Front Line, said: “Matt shares the same goals we do and so we are delighted to be able to support his campaign in memory of his dad in this way.

“As paramedics, we’ve watched people die in front of us because we couldn’t get there any sooner and yet for the sake of a simple piece of kit, a life could be saved.

“Every minute can be one too many in the case of a catastrophic haemorrhage, without the right type of first aid, such as a tourniquet, being applied as quickly as possible.

“We’re happy to have supported the Millwall FC and Community Trust installations and to have this life-saving equipment accessible to the community in such a prominent place.”

Pictured top: From left, Millwall Community Trust chief executive Sean Daly, Millwall FC players George Saville and Zian Flemming, Matt Lane and his son Teddy Lane and the Met’s Chief Inspector Alex Ogilvie (Picture: Millwall FC)