West Ham United was honoured to host campaigning Essex mum Sue Hedges at the Rush Green Training Ground as the Club joined her in raising awareness of the impact of knife crime in London.
Eight years ago, Sue's son Ricky Hayden and his father Paul were attacked outside their own home in Chadwell Heath, as they tried to stop a gang of teenagers stealing a moped.
Popular nightclub doorman Ricky died from stab wounds sustained in the attack, aged just 27, and Sue has devoted herself ever since to the fight against knife crime in the nation's capital.
The special medical kits that Sue's charity donates in Ricky's memory can make the difference between life and death in situations where a stab wound causes catastrophic bleeding.
What started off as the donation of a single bleed kit to the local pub where Ricky's wake was held has now turned into a campaign to raise money for bleed kits and distribute them across five boroughs in east London and Essex.
West Ham United are proud to be the first Premier League club to receive a bleed kit from the Ricky Hayden Memorial, and Jackie Ferdinand, the Club’s Director of Safeguarding & Inclusion, and Richard Collinge, the Club’s Director of Performance, were delighted to welcome Sue to Rush Green to talk about her work.
Speaking after meeting with Sue, Jackie Ferdinand said: “The heartbreak of young people losing their lives due to street violence is a tragedy that never gets easier to hear, nor should it ever become so.
“The Club and the West Ham Foundation acknowledge the urgent need to tackle knife crime through collaboration and political action. Football, alongside multi-agencies, the government and voluntary sectors, can use its influence and reach to address the root causes of street violence and deliver for young people a safer, more equitable and prosperous future.
“Although prevention work is important, unforeseen violence, accidents and emergencies are an unwelcome reality, therefore having accessible bleed kits can make all the difference in saving a life. We are inspired by Sue's efforts to honour Ricky's memory and hope equipping our sites with a bleed kit helps to prevent other families from experiencing the same pain.”
Speaking on behalf of the Ricky Hayden Memorial, Sue Hedges said: “I would like to thank West Ham United for accepting the donation of the bleed bags in their camps and for their support with our campaign.
“My family and I have been through an awful time over the last eight years, and by donating The Daniel Baird bleed bags into the community, we keep Ricky’s memory alive.
“We will never eradicate knife crime, but we can be prepared for any catastrophic bleed that occurs.
“A big thank you also to Central Park Primary School for their support in helping the Ricky Hayden Memorial make this donation possible.”
Richard Collinge also praised the charity's initiative, adding: “You hope that you will never need to use one of these bleed kits, but as we know from Ricky's tragic case, if you are able to respond quickly and effectively to the loss of blood and have the equipment to help, it could make the difference between life and death.
“The more of these kits we have available in public places, and the more people who are trained to use them, the better the chances of survival will be, and that’s why Sue's work is so important.”
