HAYLEY Ryall has thanked the people of Kingswood for the support she has received since the death of her son.
Mikey Roynon was stabbed to death at a party in Bath in June last year, aged just 16.
Since then, Hayley, backed by family and friends, has thrown herself into activities to raise awareness of knife crime, and has taken part in a number of national TV appearances and newspaper interviews, impressing many with her courage, strength and determination.
As the anniversary of the tragedy approaches, Hayley told the Voice how much she appreciated the backing from local people for the Mikey’s World charity.
“The community has kept me going over the past year,” she said. “Everyone has been so supportive, it has been incredible to see. I simply couldn’t have imagined how much people would support Mikey’s World, both locally and from all over South Gloucestershire.”
Mikey’s World has so far provided 120 bleeding control kits to local secondary schools, pubs, youth clubs and community centres. The specialised kits are designed to stop life-threatening bleeding until professional medical help arrives, enabling bystanders to take immediate action and potentially save lives. Mikey’s World also runs training sessions on how to use the kits in critical situations.
The charity recently exceeded its £10,000 target through public donations and a series of events organised by the community, Hayley’s family and friends, and Mikey’s Army.
Hayley said: “Mikey’s Army is a group of 16 of my friends from school, their partners and their kids. They are the most amazing people. They do everything for me and my family. They helped me set up the charity, they’ve put their lives on hold for us and helped me through challenging times.”
Over the summer, Mikey’s World will be running a series of fundraising events including a pub quiz, a sponsored golf day and a six-a-side Football Tournament at Hanham Athletic, which is scheduled for Saturday 13th July.
Hayley said: “We encourage people to get behind what we’re doing, attend our free training sessions and fundraising events, to talk about Mikey’s World to their kids, keep raising awareness of knife crime.”
Mikey’s World is in the process of setting up a joint partnership with Avon and Somerset Police and NHS to deliver training in schools, public sector and businesses.
From September 2024, the charity will run training sessions on catastrophic bleed control training twice a month.
Hayley says: “We would like the charity to have its own premises like a youth club, where we can offer a range of things for young people, including pool tables, boxing and a gym.
“We would also like to offer a range of skills such as cooking, first aid, how to use a defibrillator, and what to say to South West Ambulance.”