Saving Lives
Not many of us will think about how blood, samples for analysis, medication and even donor breast milk gets to a patient in time of need. Tracy Hargreaves spoke to the man behind a charity that literally saves lives
Paul Brooks from Chorley is the founder, trustee and chairman of North West Blood Bikes Lancs & Lakes. He has ridden a motorbike since he was 16. He is now 68 and a retired road traffic police officer and that’s where he first had connections with the health service, having to go to hospital with people who had been injured in traffic accidents. He then saw a TV advert for Honda, showing a blood biker, which he had never heard of, and after doing some research, found that all the blood bike groups were based in the south of England with none, up north.
He decided to set up a charity to help transport vital equipment and blood around the region and in 2011, with the help of two colleagues he made his first appointment with the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals which covered Preston and Chorley. Hospitals at that time were using taxis for delivery and couldn’t believe that Paul and his small team wanted to do it for free. He advertised for more riders and within six months was up to 20 volunteers. Other bikers joined and in the first year they were called out 812 times. After that other hospitals came on board including Southport and Ormskirk, Blackburn and Burnley, up to Morecambe Bay, Kendal and Barrow. In total, an area covering 3000 sq miles.
“From then on it just grew and grew,” said Paul. “We are now being called out 11000 times a month. We have volunteer controllers who pick up the call from a virtual switchboard. They have a spreadsheet of which riders are in each area, they will give them details of where to collect and deliver to and they must text the controller when they get home, so we know they are safe.”
Everyone who works for the charity is a volunteer, and roles range from controllers, riders and fundraisers to organising and attending events. Riders have to live within 30 minutes of a hospital as there is a service agreement to collect and deliver within 90 minutes, but controllers need to have a computer, mobile and landline. All the calls are urgent, but some are emergency calls.
“Our youngest rider is 21,” adds Paul and our oldest is 75, but Brenda one of our controllers is 80, so there really is no age limit to help out, we just ask that they commit to two shifts a month.”
In just over five years, the charity has already won several awards, including NHS supplier of the year, an MBE for a group and the most prestigious, the Queens Award for Voluntary Service.
Paul currently runs the charity from his home but on 3rd December 2017 they will be opening new premises at Momentum Place at Cuerden.
“We rely completely on our volunteers and donations,” said Paul. “With our new premises we hope we can expand our team and help save many more lives.”
