Blood Bikers – Local Heroes

Did you know that there are groups of motorbike rider around the country who volunteer their time to carrying urgent medical supplies across the country? They are the unsung heroes of the night. Let us introduce you to the Blood Bikers.  Custom Lids who sell  motorcycle helmets has provided us with a bit of background about these two-wheeled heroes.

Their name mіght sound a bіt оmіnоuѕ, but thе gangs the riders belong tо are a lоng wау frоm thе Hеll’ѕ Angеlѕ. They’re called the Blооd Bіkеrѕ: mеn аnd wоmеn all over Brіtаіn whо dedicate a few evenings a wееk tо trаnѕроrtіng hоѕріtаl dеlіvеrіеѕ across thе country as ѕtаnd-іnѕ fоr the daytime professionals.

Thеу аrе аll volunteers, аnd іn 2013 thеу rеѕроndеd to аrоund 35,000 urgent requests from hоѕріtаlѕ, ѕаvіng the NHS hundreds оf thousands оf pounds. They tаkе еvеrуthіng frоm blооd and рlаtеlеtѕ to mеdісіnе аnd breast milk. “Basically,” ѕауѕ John Stepney, сhаіrmаn of thе Nationwide Association оf Blооd Bіkеѕ (NABB), “anything you саn get on thе bасk оf a bіkе.”

In 2015, The UK Blood Bikers responded to over 39,000 requests from the NHS. This was a 4,000 increase on 2013, and certainly indicates the growing importance of the contribution the Blood Bikers make. In total, there are 27 individual member Blood Biker groups across the UK, with a total of 2,870 unpaid volunteers working towards the common goal – to deliver vital supplies to hospitals when they are most needed.

The Significance of Blood Bikers

It’s fortunate that the Blood Bikers exist because the alternative for the NHS is to pay for taxis and couriers which is really expensive and it is constantly under pressure with its budgetary constraints to keep costs down. There is no better way than using the Blood Biker system to deliver thousands of vital items to hospitals. A motorbike driven by a Blood Biker can more easily negotiate traffic jams as well.

Transporting passengers and parcels is what taxis and couriers do best rather than delivering urgent parcels. If supplies are needed urgently a taxi may opt for a paying passenger rather than a parcel delivered on account. In a situation where time is of the essence, a taxi or a courier is not necessarily the best solution.

How do Blood Bikers Survive?

Fund raising is one of the most important activities for Blood Bikers to ensure their survival. You can’t expect to be getting free services that cost money to operate. Contributions to charities and donations from local companies all go towards ansuring that Blood Bikers can continue to operate.

The bikes used by Blood Bikers are not their own. The bike are all owned by the group and have been modified to offer increased protection from adverse weather conditions and increased luggage capacity for their vital supplies. The riders can easily be identified with their high visibility clothing.

Many riders contribute towards their own uniforms in one way or another, it can be considered an additional expense borne by the group. Many companies offer discounts to Blood Bike riders and the group to ensure that this vital service can be maintained.

We are asking for you to support your local Blood Bikers group today. Whether you become a biker yourself or donate to this worthwhile cause, your help would be greatly appreciated.

To donate to your local group, visit the Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes website to find the contact information you need.