Newly-operational Highlands and Islands Blood Bikes receives £10,000 grant
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A newly-operational charity transporting vital medical supplies and samples free of charge for NHS Highland has been awarded £10,000 from a national fund.
Highland and Islands Blood Bikes (HAIBB) received the grant from the SUN50 Fund, run by The Sun newspaper.
The independent local charity, which serves the Highland and Islands, agreed earlier this year to courier for NHS Highland on a six-month trial, operating in the evenings and weekends, transporting blood samples on certain routes.
But it has since stepped up its operations in response to a call to help transport Covid-19 samples across the area to a laboratory at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
Operated solely by volunteers it is part of the larger Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes across the UK.
Ross Sharp, president of HAIBB, said it has been running 14-hour shifts per day.
"We are new to this," he said. "We only went live this year and when I saw the fund was looking for recipients I applied – you never know!
"Then Covid-19 came along and everything changed. We were about to have a launch event and it was cancelled,
"We have a fundraising team ready to be out and about and they are staying at home, approaching local business for sponsorship. When most businesses are closed, it makes it really difficult."
In addition, it had sourced two special liveried motorcycles from another blood bike group on the basis it could pay for them when it had the money.
"We were so conscious that the bikes needed to paid for as it's unfair on the other blood bike group which could also be struggling," Mr Sharp said.
"To receive this money and be able to put aside this debt means everything for us. We can look forward.
"The financial forecasts were beginning to look worrying at a time when we were busier beyond our initial predictions, helping the NHS at a time like this.
"We are proud to have won a Sun50 grant. It’s about celebrating ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
"We are just a group of ordinary people doing what we see as good thing for our community.”
HAIBB also operates a loan motorcycle and some volunteers use their own bikes.
Riders can be identified by their distinctive vests and blood boxes on them.
“If you see our riders out doing their bit, please give them a wave and give them some space," Mr Sharp said.
"They are doing it for free, free to our NHS.”
Further information including how to become a volunteer, make a donation or becoming a sponsor can be found at www.haibloodbikes.co.uk.
