MOTORISTS and bikers are being urged to get first aid training by a foundation set up in memory of a man who was involved in a fatal motorcycle collision.

Kenneth Stonehouse lost his life last May when he collided with a lorry as he was riding along the B1264 near Low Worsall, close to Yarm.

The 33-year-old, of Dormanstown, Redcar, left a fiancé who was eight weeks pregnant at the time and a young daughter.

As a result the Kenneth Stonehouse Road Safety Foundation (KSRSF) was established by his fiancé, Sadiah Hussain and his best friend Paul Patric White, with the aim of raising funds and road safety awareness and as a support network for families who have lost loved ones in similar circumstances.

And the foundation has joined forces with St John Ambulance to deliver an essential first aid course.

Sadiah Hussain said: “The shock of losing a loved one in such tragic circumstances and the ongoing emotional trauma is incredibly difficult to deal with.

"Both Paul and I felt we had to do something in Kenneth’s memory to help others cope as we felt very isolated at the time of his death and couldn’t find the support locally.

“By working with St John Ambulance, we hope that this course will be the start of building an army of life savers equipped with the first aid know-how to enable them to act in an emergency and particularly in relation to road accidents.

"We aim to make roads a safer place and funds raised through our foundation are donated to local groups and organisations committed to making road safety a priority.”

As part of the ongoing campaign, KSRSF approached St John Ambulance to create a bespoke first aid training course aimed specifically at road users to equip them with the life saving skills needed to act quickly to treat someone involved in a road traffic accident.

Tom Dawson, of St John Ambulance (Northeast), said: “We train thousands of people on our diverse range of first aid and health and safety courses in the workplace, in the community and in schools every year to the highest standards.

"First aid is simple to learn and can be the difference between lives lost and lives saved, so we were delighted to work with the foundation to design a special training course."

The Essential First Aid Course for Road Users takes place on April 12 at Corus Sports Centre in Redcar and costs £20. Places are limited. For more information contact ksrsfcharity@gmail.com; facebook.com/kenroadsafe; @kenroadsafe or call 07756 562395.