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Mums united by tragedy offer first aid skills

Sally Panks Sally Panks in a grey sweatshirt smiling at the camera. She has curly grey hair and is wearing glasses. She is standing in front of a green poster and is holding a kit. Sally Panks
Sally Panks said the group were "passionate" about helping people keep safe

A group of mothers who came together after personal tragedies is aiming to equip people with the skills and confidence to deal with emergency situations.

The group, 4 Mums Talking, is teaching practical skills, including CPR and how to stop bleeding if someone is stabbed, at a session in Norfolk.

One of the group, Sally Panks, said they got in touch with each other through social media.

"We all have our lived experience of what we have gone through with our children and just to be able to help even one person is a job well done for us," she said.

Ms Panks who started a non-profit company, offering kits for those affected by self- harm, got together with the other women, including Margaret Oakes.

Ms Oakes is founder of Raymond James Quigley's Legacy, named in memory of her son, from Wymondham, Norfolk, who was stabbed to death in Ipswich in January 2023.

She has since been campaigning to have bleed-control kits installed across Norfolk and Suffolk.

Also in the group is Jayne Biggs, founder of Heart 2 Heart Norfolk, and Michele Judd, of MJ Training East.

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Shaun Whitmore/BBC Margaret Oakes, holding a red bleed control kit, is dressed in black and is looking at the camera. She has shoulder-length blonde hair. Behind her is a wooden fence and a brick wall with a wooden trellis, to which are attached teddy bears and roses. Shaun Whitmore/BBC
Since the death of her son in 2023, Margaret Oakes has been campaigning to have bleed-control kits installed across Norfolk and Suffolk

They will hold their first session at the Black Swan Theatre, North Walsham, on Monday.

Ms Panks said: "We are trying to promote confidence and awareness... Jayne's story is that her daughter needed CPR and there wasn't a defibrillator available... it is really, really important that there is life-saving equipment available in case of emergency.

"It doesn't necessarily need to be a heart attack or a stabbing; it could be a car accident [or]... anything where these things are needed and need to be at hand."

The women will also use the evening to share their experiences.

"For us, it is very personal," said Ms Panks.

"We are very passionate about what we do. We just want people to be safe; to have more confidence in a difficult situation."

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