Woodgate & Clark are proud to sponsor the South West Blood Bikers charity where our very own Nick Turner is a Blood Bike volunteer rider, and has made a donation to help this critical and lifesaving service in the South West of England.
It seems Nick was destined to join SWBB from the start. Being a truly lovely chap, willing to help anyone, and an avid biker since the 70's with a passion for 2-wheels, it was almost an inevitability that when he was browsing the local Gazette one evening and he spotted an advert for 'Blood Bikers Needed' he thought how great it would be to help out.
Alas, he didn't have the relevant Advanced Riders qualification but the ad in the paper stuck in his head...
A while later, in passing conversation, Nick mentioned his interest in the service to his mother-in-law who, by coincidence, had recently sat through a SWBB fundraiser presentation at her local W.I. meeting given by one of our volunteers. In true MIL style she told him it was a very worthwhile cause and to "get the qualification required and go for it".
So, Nick set about getting his Advanced qualification with IAM, which he passed in spring of 2022.
Later that year, with the thought of becoming a Blood Biker still in his mind and his IAM certificate safely at home, he was out shopping in Barnstaple one Saturday and who should he meet in the High Street? The SWBB team doing another fundraiser. That was it: Nicks fate was sealed and he is now a valuable part of the team, with the moral of his story being: occasionally, the mother-in-law speaks sense!
South West Blood Bikes provides a free volunteer out of hours emergency courier service to the NHS, & other medical facilities, using our fleet of motorcycles and cars and being members of the Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes.
South West Blood Bikes is an independent charity formed in Plymouth in 2018. The charity is operated and managed by its volunteers and we are not connected to any other charity within Devon or elsewhere. Their mission is clear: to save lives and improve outcomes for patients by supporting healthcare providers where rapid movement of the items we transport will achieve this.
SWBB move Whole Blood, Pathology and Microbiology samples, Donor Breast Milk, Medical Records and X-Rays, Medical Equipment and Test Kits, and medications including controlled drugs - in fact anything that is required urgently by a medical facility, providing it can fit on a motorcycle.
Initially servicing Plymouth in Devon, we are now expanding our service across the County. The team have been assessed by and currently hold membership to the Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes. This means that they have been inspected and meet or exceed their standards, and now form part of their national "Coast to Coast" relay, enabling movement of items across the country by member groups in a very short timeframe if needed.
The charity has no paid staff and makes no charge for its service. Every penny raised by the charity is spent directly on providing the free Blood Bike service supporting the NHS, Hospices and other medical facilities they serve. All of the volunteer riders hold advanced riding qualifications certified by either the IAM or ROSPA. They provide services from 1700hrs to 0700hrs weekdays and also 24 hour cover during weekends and public holidays.
Their vehicles comprise a fleet of ten liveried motorcycles, supported by two Skoda Scout 4 Wheel Drive cars and a van for use in inclement weather. For more information, please contact Nick Turner, or go to: www.swbb.org.uk
