My charity of the Week is Severn Freewheelers, the charity which operates the Blood Bike service in our area, saving the NHS thousands of pounds a year by transporting blood, tissue, donated milk and other essential medical supplies free of charge.
To make this happen the charity relies on volunteer co-ordinators who make sure the riders - who all hold advanced motorcycling qualifications - are in the right place at the right time, usually outside normal working hours and including weekends and bank holidays.
As well as Swindon and North Wiltshire, Severn Freewheelers cover Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire. When necessary, riders will link up with blood bikers from outside the Freewheelers' patch to transport vital medical supplies.
All riders and coordinators give their time freely, with the charity relying on donations to pay for everything from petrol and tyres to insurance and vehicles.
So next time you see a blood bike at Great Western Hospital, or being ridden in the area, think of what goes on behind the scenes.
You can find out more about Severn Freewheelers here: http://www.severnfreewheelers.org.uk/
To donate to the charity please visit https://www.justgiving.com/severnfreewheelers
You can follow Severn Freewheelers on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/SevernFreewheelersEVS
And on LinkedIn here:
