A further 10 life-saving bleed control kits are set to be installed in and around Ipswich after £5,500 was collected across two anti-knife crime events.
Be Lucky Anti Crime Foundation, set up in memory of Dean Stansby, organised a fundraising basketball tournament and manor ballroom that took place last weekend in the Chantry area.
Paul Stansby, 39, a co-owner of Lucky 13 Tattoo Studio in Ipswich, has initiated a campaign against knife crime after his brother was fatally stabbed near the Ipswich railway station in February 2017 and is on a mission to install bleed control kits around the town.
Among those fundraising at the weekend was Harry Lyne – who almost died after being stabbed in 2015 – and hopes the money he raised will "save lives" in the town.
Mr Stansby said: “We're absolutely ecstatic that we're able to put another 10 emergency bleed control kits on top of what we've already put out there.
“It's going to make a massive difference because we are able to place them closer together in the town centre and housing estates, which means there’s more chance of survival when an incident happens. Fingers crossed that we never have to use them.”
It comes at a time of a number of knife-related incidents in Ipswich with this summer seeing a series of targeted "tit for tat" attacks.
Superintendent Andy Martin, who oversees most community policing in Ipswich, said that many of the gang members “show a willingness to carry weapons and use them against other people, but what we're not always seeing is a true willingness to cause injury".
Mr Stansby said: “It's very important that the people that are carrying knives know that we are aware that they have them, and we will do everything we can to try and stop this issue.
“We need to unite together to be able to recognise and raise awareness amongst each other. Awareness is a major key factor in being able to adjust the mentality of, especially, children."
“I'm not gonna give up this, and I will keep pushing for a better community and safer town,” Mr Stansby added.
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