North West Blood Bikes

Before the Fat Man comes down the chimney I thought I’d write this Message to all our website visitors.

What a FANTASTIC year 2015 has been, thanks to all our Members, our “Customers”, sponsors, those who’ve worked to Fundraise for us and those who have made donations or collected for us.

We have recently burst through the 18,000 missions barrier in just 43 months, with over 8,000 runs this year alone, an incredible achievement by any standard, and I can assure you, that figure is far higher than any other Blood Bike Group in the UK and Ireland. We have been bestowed several awards and have been nominated for the Queens Award to Volunteers and will find out whether we have won or lost in May/June 2016, but win or lose the fact that we have been nominated is a fantastic accolade to you all.

We have new members coming on all the time, but sadly losing a few members on the way, due to work/family commitments, but that is inevitable with a charity doing what we do.

We have escorted funerals having been asked to do so by the families and we have members who “Ride to the Wall” to the National Arboretum every year, and we have escorted a Bride to her wedding, which all goes to show we care.

We have had some fun times, e.g. 3 Sisters Race Day, get together’s, etc., but we have also had some sad times, where some of our group have lost someone dear to them, and my heartfelt condolences go to those families.

We have also had a couple of riders involved in collisions, neither of which were their fault and the riders were uninjured, Thank Goodness. What is most apparent is that if one of our members is in need, e.g. had a collision, etc., other members have come to their aid immediately, which just goes to show that we have grown from a simple group of people to a family who can be relied upon.

It is also apparent how our band of superb unseen Controllers deal with the unusual and have genuine and sincere concerns when something serious happens. They’re a lovely and professional bunch.

Many of our members have suffered from Mother Nature’s worst storms to hit the North West, some have been flooded and some have had their power cut, but the Bull Dog spirit never left them. One of our members, a Founder, jumped in his Land Rover and headed North to help and joined forces with 4 x 4 Response and the Bay Rescue and had to stay overnight.

All in all, I am so proud to be a part of NWBB Lancs & Lakes and from myself, and on behalf of the Committee, I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year