Devon Freewheelers EVS, also known as the Blood Bikes provides a free out of hours courier service to the NHS across Devon. The service is provided mainly on motorbikes, ridden by volunteers. The Blood Bikes carry whole blood, blood and other medical samples, medication, emergency medical equipment, tissue samples for cross matching before transplant operations and donor breast milk for premature babies.  The Charity receives no funding from the NHS for this service and relies on public donations to be able to continue to operate.

As a Blood Bike Volunteer Rider, I have the enormous privilege of undertaking these IMPORTANT and sometimes LIFE SAVING  duties on behalf of the Charity and, in turn, the NHS.   As we receive no external grants to provide this FREE out of hours service, I have taken it upon myself to attempt to fund some of the annual running costs of Bravo 9, which is the BLOOD BIKE for the West Devon Team.   

We are made up of Volunteer Riders who fund our own Advanced Licence's and complete a Check Ride before we are permitted to undertake the primary function of the Charity on the Kawasaki 1400 GTR's - fully liveried Blood Bikes.   Most Riders also work full time jobs too before undertaking the Duties of 1700-0700 Monday to Friday and 24-hours over every weekend in all weathers. 

On a daily basis we collect and deliver bloods and samples from several local Doctors Surgeries, URGENT samples from the Plymouth Dialysis Unit at Roborough and anywhere else within the County for the NHS as directed by our Volunteer Call Handlers.
 
As well as this, we remain on call throughout the night of the Duty for other URGENT issues such as Emergency Resupplying of Donor Breast Milk to Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) both in Derriford and Treliske (Truro).  This undertaking gives premature babies, of just 24 weeks gestation onwards, the greatest chances of survival.  The milk is relayed down from Bristol (Southmead) to Derriford or for onward relay travel as requested.  

These parts of our Duty are extremely satisfying but my more recent activities have really highlighted to me just how good involvement with this Charity really is.

I have been privileged to be called upon to transport time sensitive pre-organ transplant bloods / tissue samples across several Counties in order to facilitate Organ Transplants.

The thought of 'RIDING FOR SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE' is an INCREDIBLE feeling and one I would certainly urge others to get involved in.   

Donating  £5 will fuel the bike for up to 70 miles of vital travel which will be a great help.

THANK YOU SO MUCH if you are able to support me but if not, please share this as wide as possible and why not consider joining us as a Rider, a Driver, a Fundraiser or a Call Handler?   

DO SOMETHING GREAT TODAY AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO SOMEONE IN NEED.