Bleed control kits for Colchester after Liam Taylor murder

Liam Taylor was just 19 when he died after sustaining multiple stab wounds in an attack at The Rose and Crown pub in The Green, Writtle, on January 31, 2020.

Since then, his grandmother Julie, who owns a café at St Peter’s Hospital in Maldon, has been on a mission to reduce knife crime across Essex and across the country.

Julie said: “When Liam was brutally murdered our family couldn’t fathom it, even the way we have handled his death has been different.

“After he died I spent the next six months trying to hold my family together, we didn’t have a funeral for him, we called it a special day.

“There’s been some sort of agreement between his mother Michelle and the family... we aren’t allowed to say he’s dead, just on holiday.

“But I think it’s important to refer to it as a brutal murder so we can attack the issue head on and reduce knife crime.”

Julie has held talks around the county and collaborated with different groups to share Liam’s story.

She joined several anti-knife crime groups before encountering Save a Life Ditch the Knife, a group which was started by Clacton based Rob Keenan.

Since then, Julie has been made an administrator of the north Essex group and contributes regularly.

She added: “I’m not a professional speaker, I’m just a grandmother speaking from the heart. I’ve done lots of talks around Essex and I believe in the work they are doing in Clacton.”

Special day - Family and friends of Liam Taylor hold a funeral after his death

Rob and Julie are currently arranging for her to speak in Clacton soon and they will also liaise on another project of Julie’s, distributing bleed kits around Essex.

Julie found the bleed control kits when she came across the Daniel Baird Foundation, a charity founded in memory of Daniel who was fatally stabbed in Birmingham in 2017.

The charity sells bleed control kits that are endorsed by the NHS and Julie began fundraising to buy kits and provide them to different Essex communities.

Determined - Family and friends of Liam Taylor at an anti knife crime event

She said: “We’ve raised more than £9,500 through the Liam Taylor Legacy fundraisers and have bought two defibrillators, 49 bleed control bags that cost £100 each, and three bleed control units that cost £550 each.

“The kits have been distributed to Maldon, Chelmsford and Romford, even outside Essex in Great Yarmouth and Tottenham.

“Rob will sort out the kits in Clacton and Colchester, we believe it’s important for everyone to come together as a group but handle our own specific patches as we know them best.”

Julie also works with the police and has accompanied families in court as a supportive figure.

RIP - Julie Taylor's memorial for her grandson Liam

She believes reducing knife crime is not a linear path and there are a lot of steps required.

Julie added: “There are so many things that need to be done, parents need to keep an eye on their children and watch for subtle changes.

“If a child has a change in dress code or starts to use new slang then that could be an indicator of what they are getting involved in.

“I also believe that there needs to be more police on the street and more stop and search and better education in schools on the issue.

“If people like myself can visit schools more regularly then I think we can make a difference, I’ve held talks where nonchalant 16-year-olds ended up crying when I told them Liam’s story.”

Julie will hold an event at her café on Thursday, May 19, which is national Control the Bleed Day where attendees will be trained on the use of bleed kits.

For more information on what Julia is doing email julietaylor195@gmail.com or visit facebook.com/TheLiamTaylor.