Blood bikers get new motorcycle to help patients at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre

Posted 30th April 2018

Merseyside and Cheshire Blood Bikes, the volunteer-run charity that transports urgent medical supplies between hospitals, has taken delivery of a brand new Yamaha motorbike at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.

Funding from the Steve Morgan Foundation made the purchase possible and the new bike, which has also been fitted out with panniers, flashing blue light and a siren, was formally handed over to the charity at the hospital by trustee Vincent Fairclough.

The top of the range Yamaha will replace one of the aging bikes in the charity’s fleet of eight and will be used across the region to deliver blood, plasma and anything else a patient may need.

Merseyside and Cheshire Blood Bikes operate round the clock and the speed of delivery they offer often buys life-saving time for patients in critical conditions.

The service is staffed entirely by volunteers, who also fundraise to cover all the operational costs, and saves the NHS from having to deliver supplies by ambulance or taxi.

Simon Dennett, one of the 60 volunteer riders and Vice Chairman of MCBB, said: “We are incredibly grateful to the Steve Morgan Foundation. The bikes are serviced for free by volunteer mechanics, but we have to buy the parts and on the older bikes this can be incredibly expensive. This new bike will be more reliable and save us money.”

Staff from The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre and volunteers from Merseyside and Cheshire Blood Bikes gathered for the official unveiling of the motorcycle that will be used, among other things, to transport urgent deliveries of chemotherapy drugs and small pieces of equipment for the specialist cancer hospital in Wirral.

Handing the keys over to the charity, Mr Fairclough said: “We are delighted to have been able to help.

"The Trustees were highly impressed by Merseyside and Cheshire Blood Bikes. The fact that they are a 100 per cent volunteer organisation speaks volumes, as does the fact that it is providing a free, very important, service to the NHS for the benefit of seriously ill patients.”

For more information about Merseyside and Cheshire Blood Bikes, contact them on 0843 2891 999.