Blood Bikes need your support

MEMBERS of Blood Bikes, the emergency volunteer service that offers a vital free of charge courier service to the NHS, are appealing for more donations so they can continue their life-saving efforts.

The group is a registered charity that provides a free out-of-hours motorcycle courier service to hospitals in the South West of England. Members transport blood, pathology and microbiology specimens, patient notes, X-rays, breast milk and other medical supplies, plus deliver every night to two local Air Ambulance bases.

A spokesperson for the charity said, “In 2020, we celebrated our 30th year as a charity ‘Riding for Life’ – facilitated entirely by volunteers, we depend fully on public sponsorship and donations to maintain our service.

“During the Covid year 2020-21, we made over 7,792 deliveries, riding more than 225,000 miles.  Our slogan, Riding for Life, describes our operation perfectly. We ride to play our part in saving people’s lives, we ride to help the NHS divert money that would otherwise be spent on taxis or expensive couriers, but more than anything else we ride because we love it and wish to put something back into the community.”

The charity – officially called Freewheelers Emergency Voluntary Service – relies solely on donations and is made up of volunteers. If you would like to donate or volunteer yourself, visit their website at: www.freewheelers.org.uk