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Before our Annual General Meeting we had invited Colin Farrington from Services by Emergency Response Volunteers Norfolk Blood Bikes, our Charity for 2018, to come along and talk to us about what they do.
Colin told us that Blood Bikes started in 1981 from a house in Surrey. It was set up to deliver blood samples by volunteers with their own motorbikes and using their own fuel, as the RHS Blood Transfusion Service had to pay to deliver blood. Norfolk Blood Bikes have been going for six years and in that time they have had 5000 calls and in 2016 they had over 1000 calls.
They operate by a relay system and deliver blood, blood products, samples and now donor breast milk, from and to all three hospitals in Norfolk and The Rosie at Addenbrook’s. They operate 365 nights a year, every weekend and bank holiday day time. Colin is the person who makes sure that there are enough drivers/riders to cover all this time.
In winter they use cars and have access to four. Colin had travelled to the meeting in one that had been presented to them the Friday before. The bikes include Honda Duvall’s, Triumph Tigers, a Yamaha (which had been donated by the Downham Market Young Farmers) and a F800 GT BMW which is to encourage lady drivers.
During the meeting we started the fundraising off with a raffle which raised £42. Members also donated £18 to Colin with the sale of some merchandise. If you are interested in getting involved with the Blood Bikes take a look at their website at www.servnorfolk.org.uk
We followed the talk by our Annual General Meeting. The Committee were voted in en bloc and the only change will be the membership fee increasing to £8 at the beginning of 2019.
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