PLANS to help train people around Oswestry in using ‘bleed kits’ have been boosted by town council support.

A motion was brought to Wednesday’s full town council meeting by former mayor Councillor Jay Moore who, working with local man Darren Fraser, wanted to make more use of the kits.

Bleed kits were introduced to the town last year and are designed to help people who have suffered deep cuts be treated before medics arrive.

Cllr Moore, in his motion, said more should be done with them than ‘just placing the kits in our defib boxes (to) make for a nice tick box exercise’ and called for the council to provide basic training.

In the meeting, he added that Community First Responders had told him they were happy to help provide training and suggested the council’s Police Partnership Panel could allocate a budget.

Councillor Frank Davies called for more information.

OTHER NEWS:

He said: “I’m not against it but we need to know numbers and costs.”

He added that ‘999 call operators can talk people through the procedures and how to apply the kits’.

Cllr John Price added that he had concerns over whether it could be ‘a rolling project’ to keep skills topped up.

Cllr Mark Jones asked for a figure for the town council to contribute.

Cllr Moore replied: “It’s down to what level of work they want to carry out so best to start small with Marches School, air cadets and first responders at around £500-750.”

Town clerk Arren Roberts then advised councillors to ‘speak to training providers before thinking of a budget and it can be expanded to include extra training such as defibrillators’.

The motion was passed unanimously.

Meanwhile, Mr Roberts welcomed councillors’ unanimous support for Cllr Duncan Kerr’s motion to ban the awarding of live pets as a prize.

He told the meeting that it had always been the council’s policy but had not been formalised.

Border Counties Advertizer:

Meanwhile, councillors have agreed to all the recommendations in a report calling for a minimum spend of £15,000 on improvements to the Indoor Market Hall.

The report, put together by Mr Roberts with his officers, recommended that money be spent on painting the exterior, paying for a mural and improving branding through new signage.

All councillors agreed to the motion.