Posted on 1st May
Newark hosted the #InThisTogether Stop the Bleed Conference — the first national event of its kind, focusing on equipping ordinary citizens with the practical skills and knowledge to positively act in a crisis.
This includes how to stop severe bleeding before the emergency services arrive at an incident.
The event was hosted by Academy Transformation Trust for Further Education (ATTFE) in partnership with Newark and Sherwood District Council.
It coincided with both National Stop the Bleed Day and the iconic Knife Angel anti-violence sculpture being placed in Newark town centre.
#InThisTogether began after a teenage learner at Sutton and Ollerton-based ATTFE was threatened with a knife, which brought into focus how the majority of people would not know what to do if someone suffered a life-threatening bleed.
The campaign promotes simple life-saving techniques that are useful in a range of emergencies, including road traffic collisions, domestic incidents, and agricultural and industrial accidents, as well as knife-related incidents.
The conference brought together partners and speakers from healthcare, emergency services, community organisations, and national charities. It was formally opened by Lord-Lieutenant for Nottinghamshire Professor Veronica Pickering.
Organisations were encouraged to make practical pledges to support the campaign, including widening access to bleeding control training and helping communities feel confident to step in and help until emergency services.
Liz Barrett, principal of ATTFE College, said: “Although we’re six months into this campaign, this is only the start. By collaborating we can have a greater impact across Nottinghamshire and beyond.
“The main thing we would like is for people to be trained on how to stop bleeding, so they can use those skills if needed. It’s all about life-long learning.”
The initiative has grown into a national campaign, and organisers hope the conference will encourage more organisations to join, expand training opportunities, and build long-term momentum.
Delegates visited the Knife Angel and tied messages of hope on white ribbons. They also took part in practical first aid sessions, including how to use the tourniquets and wound packing found in Stop the Bleed kits, which are designed to help control catastrophic bleeding in the crucial minutes before professional help arrives.
Paul Taylor, Newark and Sherwood District Council’s portfolio holder for Community Protection and Public Relations, said: “This conference focuses on something very simple but incredibly powerful — communities helping communities. Actions taken before emergency services arrive can save lives, and we want people to have the confidence to act when it matters most.”
Peter Gregory, community engagement lead from Nottinghamshire Freemasons, added: “Knowing how to stop severe bleeding is a practical skill anyone can learn. By working together across services and communities, we can help more people feel confident to act quickly and safely in the minutes that matter.”
A message from Adele Cook, whose husband, James Cook, died following a stabbing in Newark in 2025, was read out during the conference by Penny Taylor, head of Newark College campuses, calling for hope through action, education, and early intervention.
The message said: “We stand here today not just in the shadow of the loss of my husband, James, but in the light of what still can be.
“We cannot undo what has been done. But we can shape what comes next. Hope is not passive. It is action. It is education, early intervention, listening without judgment, and stepping in before it’s too late.
“It is standing together — families, communities, services — not divided, but united in one clear message: enough.
“Every life saved matters. Every choice to put down a knife matters. Every conversation that changes a path matters.
“So let this not just be a gathering of voices, but a turning point.”
