For those who may not be familiar with the Merseyside and Cheshire Blood Bike Group, their aim is to save the NHS money by providing free emergency transport of urgently needed blood, donor breast milk, drugs, human tissues and other medical requirements between hospitals, hospices and blood transfusion units and blood banks, primarily but not exclusively in the northwest region of England.
The group relies on a small contingent of loyal volunteers, who either ride the liveried blood bikes, are controllers who essentially task the riders, and fundraisers, who as the name suggests, raise much needed funds for this entirely voluntary and self-funding charity.
It is a cause that is close to the heart of Barry Fletcher, Regional Charity Steward for the Liverpool and Gladstone Groups. Barry is a member of Childwall Lodge No 5235, Lodge of Unity No 613 and a founder member of the North Wales Motorcycle Lodge No 10026. It was during a meeting at the annual joint Christmas Dance, which is organised between Childwall Lodge and Blenheim Lodge No 7519, that Barry Fletcher and Geoff Brown, who is also a charity steward, discussed donating the funds raised which are normally given to a local charity to the blood bikes charity instead.
Barry subsequently contacted the Merseyside and Cheshire Blood Bikes Group, and having enquired with regards to the funds that they would require, decided to aim higher and see if they could raise enough funds to purchase a new motorcycle. The cost to equip and buy a blood bike is £18,000.
With £1,000 raised from the aforementioned Christmas Dance, a relief chest was opened, and Barry set about raising and coordinating donations. Communicating the fund-raising efforts, Barry soon enlisted the help of Liverpool Group Chairman David Johnson and vice chairman Bob Paterson, in getting the message around lodges and chapters of the group, with Tony Fennell and Geoff Brown, Liverpool Group Charity Stewards for Craft and Royal Arch respectively, also championing the cause. Gladstone Group Charity Steward Sean Keyes also became involved promoting the fund-raising efforts within the lodges and chapters of the Gladstone Group as well.
As the word went around both groups, donations began to arrive courtesy of lodges and chapters, Merchants’ Lodge No 241 sponsoring three of its brethren, Jhun Ranario, Mogan Athmanathan and Neil Francis to complete the Liverpool ‘Santa Dash’ on a cold December morning raising £250 for the fund.
Celebrating his golden jubilee of 50 years as a Freemason, grand officer Roy Pyne, member of Commercial Travellers’ Lodge No 2631 presented a cheque on behalf of the lodge for £1,000. The brethren of St Peter’s Lodge No 4324 donated £500 at their installation meeting. Likewise, Cecil Lodge No 3274 donated £750 at their installation meeting. A donation of £200 was even gratefully received from a non-Masonic fancy dress party.
The Liverpool Group Ball raised a further £750 to add to the fund. With so many donations being raised at special events, celebrations, as well as ordinary lodge meetings and installations across both groups, the list is too long to mention them all. A grand total of £11,250 was raised from the lodges and chapters who supported, and who should feel very proud in their fund-raising efforts.
Barry then enlisted the help of Alan Riley and Howard Lloyd of the West Lancashire Freemasons’ Charity, who agreed to donate £5,000 to the fund. With the remaining cost of the bike being met by the Blood Bikes Charity themselves. Further donations of £1,400 have since been received which will be used to cover the cost of fuel for the bike.
It was during the Liverpool Group Ball, that group chairman Dave Johnson made an emotional reference to the achievement of having obtained the funds to buy a blood bike, securing further funding for its maintenance and servicing. Thanking all the lodges and chapters for their hard work in making such an achievement in what was just under a 12-month period. Dave stated they should all be proud, and that an official launch and handover would be made soon.
It was a sunny afternoon, that a small gathering waited at the main entrance of Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool for the arrival of a very special motorcycle. The recently liveried and newest addition to the Merseyside and Cheshire Blood Bikes fleet, a BMW R 1250RS, ridden by Blood Biker, Peter Preston. With a very visible, logo of the square and compass, alongside a caption which reads ‘Donated by: Liverpool Freemasons’. Peter expertly rolled the bike to a prime location, outside the frontage of the hospital, Barry Fletcher performed a ceremonial handing over of the keys to Peter.
Catching up with Peter after the handover of the bike, he commented that blood bikes are an essential service to the NHS and other forms of care within the Merseyside and Cheshire area. Without reliable equipment it would be difficult to meet the required standards expected in delivery of our service. A blood bike has been designed to meet a specific task, namely being adapted to carry safely and securely, blood and human milk boxes.
Peter explained the meaning of the V3 on the side of the bike. The bikes are coded V1 to V9, the V standing for Vampire. In this case, the bike you have funded for us is known as V3. This is a replacement for the previous V3 which developed an intermittent electrical fault that could not be rectified. It was for this reason, following the purchase of the bike, that the charity requested could it be used immediately. The fault with the old V3 greatly impacting the charities’ ability to cover the many clients we have, which is why the new bike was put to work immediately before it could be formally handed over.
Vampire 3 is situated within six miles of Liverpool city centre, placing it close to seven hospitals within the catchment area, making quick response times possible. So far to date, it has covered 1,643 miles, in just three operational weeks, being on duty for 63 hours and completed 28 jobs already. Incredibly, on one day Vampire 3 was actively travelling for 6 hours 55 minutes and covered 201 miles. This goes to show the amazing work and commitment the blood bikers put into the tasks they are asked to carry out.
Peter went on to give further examples of the important regular tasks Vampire 3 is involved in working with Clatterbridge Cancer Care Trust nurses in the community, travelling to addresses within Merseyside to rendezvous and collect blood samples for analysis, taking those to Clatterbridge Cancer Hospital. This allows the nurses to resume other duties within the community without having to spend time travelling to and from the lab.
Peter explained how they were delighted with the blood bike funded by Liverpool Freemasons, and that the charity is grateful for the long history of support for the Merseyside and Cheshire Blood Bikes by the group. Peter explained that he has been a rider for blood bikes for eight years, and personally clocks up on average around 10,000 miles each year on a blood bike, it is a service he fully believes in. It is an important part to helping those that help others, made even more possible by the funding of a new bike. Once again thank you for your continued support.
Story by Mike Fox.