A Birmingham schoolgirl who saved a woman’s life after she stopped breathing on a bus has been shortlisted for the Outstanding Young Citizen Award by the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner.
Fourteen-year-old Layla Warren has been recognised for her extraordinary bravery and her long-standing commitment to youth safety and anti-knife crime advocacy through community group Birmingham Says No CIC.
Layla has been involved with the organisation since it was founded by her mother in 2019, playing a key role in campaigns, community events, and bleed control workshops. She has spoken in Parliament to MPs and the Crown Prosecution Service about the dangers of knife crime and led assemblies to inspire her peers.
But it was her calm and courageous response on the evening of July 1 that has brought her national attention. While travelling home on the 101 bus from a friend’s birthday, Layla noticed a young woman collapse into a complex epileptic seizure and stop breathing. With the driver unable to relay details to 999, Layla seized control of the emergency. Guided over the phone by a responder, the teenager performed CPR and successfully revived the 22-year-old, keeping her stable until paramedics arrived.
Her quick actions directly saved a life.
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster said: “Layla embodies the very best of our young people – courage, compassion and an unwavering commitment to helping others. What she did on that bus was nothing short of heroic. She is a shining example of how one young person can make a profound difference to their community.”
Layla will be honoured at the Outstanding Citizen Awards on Monday, October 6, at the Brasshouse Community Centre in Smethwick.
Also shortlisted alongside her is 17-year-old Bobby-Ray Fitzpatrick, from Yardley, Birmingham, who has raised thousands of pounds to fund vital bleed control kits after witnessing friends and family affected by knife violence. Bobby set up a flower stall outside his mum’s café earlier this year and has since attracted customers from more than 40 miles away, using every penny raised to buy kits for his local community.
The awards celebrate those who have gone above and beyond to support others and create safer, stronger communities. Whether through Layla’s life-saving bravery or Bobby’s relentless fundraising, both young people have shown that age is no barrier to making an extraordinary impact.
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