On Friday evening Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes were presented with our Kings Award For Voluntary Service – the MBE for Voluntary Groups.
HM Lord-Lieutenant For West Yorkshire, Ed Anderson CBE presented the Award with a hand-signed certificate from King Charles III to our Chairman, Andrew Foster.Other guest dignitaries attending were two Deputy Lieutenants, The High Sheriff of West Yorkshire and the Mayor of Calderdale.
Thank you to Birties Events in Elland for excellent hospitality.
Members of the Dewsbury Rockers Motorcycle Club have become “Whiteknights Angels” in recognition of their fundraising.
The Yorkshire Blood Bike charity, Whiteknights presented the fundraising award to Paul Morley and Catherine Foster.
West Yorkshire Manager for Whiteknights, Matthew Butterfield said: “After more than a year of fundraising, we very much appreciate the donation of £500 to support our voluntary service. They really deserve the award.”
Pictured from Whiteknights are Matthew Butterfield and Laurence Turner alongside Paul and Catherine from Dewsbury Rockers Motorcycle club.
Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes publish their total statistics for 2024 – the year in which we were the only Blood Bike charity to achieve The King’s Award For Voluntary Service.
We remain on operational duty even through the recent snow and ice conditions. Our remarkable volunteers have adapted well to this and are taking extra care. The safey of our volunteers and the safety of the Blood Samples we transport is our priority at times like this.
It’s fair to say that this year our overall totals are slightly lower than 2023. We remain a flexible and adaptable service – there to respond to the needs of hospitals and hospices only when they have an urgent delivery requirement.
However in other areas there has been an increase. The collection and delivery of consignments of Donated Breast Milk increases from 32 to 96 deliveries in 2024. So too did the delivery of items from Pharmacy to hospices and patient’s homes – from 971 to 1104.
Having covered over 90,000 miles during 2024 – we are pleased to be able to contribute alongside other neighbouring Blood Bike charities by participating in 146 national relays. That has more than doubled from the 2023 figure of 64 relays.
We would like to thank all our friends and supporters who have financially contributed to support the work of our charity during the year. Together we believe we saved the NHS £155,736. Thank you most sincerely. We hope you appreciate just how much we are able to achieve with the limited fundraising capacity we currently have.
We would love to hear from people who would like to volunteer their time to support us – perhaps by attending fundraising opportunities. Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes remains a modest, highly committed group of volunteers, who currently number approximately 60 people across the whole of Yorkshire.
Contact us through our Facebook Page or email: info@whiteknights.org.uk
So please, continue your encouragement and support during 2025 we really appreciate it.
Donations in 2025 can be made through our Just Giving page:
Thank You!
Here they are members of the South Yorkshire Team, pictured outside Laboratory Medicine at Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital.
Well done to all the South Yorshire Riders for being awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service.
Pictured holding the presentation frame is South Yorkshire Manager, Roy Clark alongside Dean Tazzyman Laboratrory Manager, Northern General Hospitalm Sheffield
Whiteknights North Yorkshire Team celebrate The Kings Award For Voluntary Service at York Hospital.Well done guys.
Whiteknights Advanced-Qualified Volunteer Riders raise a glass in celebration of being awarded the Kings Award For Voluntary Service.
Well done guys!
Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes have been meeting today at Calderdale Royal Hospital to announce to the public our Kings Award For Voluntay Service.
Here the Chairman, Andrew Foster is joined by representatives of Pathology and the Milk Bank
Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes are delighted to announce they are to be awarded the Kings Award for Voluntary Service.
The King’s Award for Voluntary Service (previously Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service) is the highest award given to UK volunteer groups, being equivalent to the MBE.
The prestigious award recognises exceptional work done by volunteer groups in their communities.
Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes provide a free of charge, out of hours urgent transportation service by volunteer motorcyclists.
We urgently transport – within one hour, Blood and Pathology Specimen Samples, Controlled medications, Donated Breast Milk for Special Care Baby Units and other vital supplies for Hospitals and Hospices throughout Yorkshire
Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bike Chairman of Trustees, Andrew Foster said, “Since the creation of our Charity in 2008, we have grown to having 60 volunteer bikers and several operational Blood Bikes. Three volunteers are on duty every day of the year to serve hospitals in North, South and West Yorkshire.
“We now respond to over 3000 call-outs every year and also participate in national relays with other neighbouring Blood Bike Groups.
“We are delighted to receive this prestigious award – all our Whiteknights’ volunteer riders, past and present should be extremely proud of what our small charity has achieved.”
Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes was one of the 5 founding groups of the Nationwide Association of Blood Bike charities, which now has 36 member groups.
A former Lord Mayor of Leeds has kick-started a campaign to replace a Leeds charity’s Blood Bike after it was severely damaged in a public car park.
Mr Keith Loudon, Lord Mayor of Leeds from 1993-1994, has donated £5000 to Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes, a West Yorkshire charity that provide urgent deliveries of blood samples, donated breast milk and vital medical supplies by volunteer motorcyclists.
In recognition of his donation and support, Mr Loudon received a fundraising award from the Yorkshire Blood Bike charity.
Speaking at the presentation Mr Loudon said: “The volunteer riders of Whiteknights provide an out-of-hours delivery service between hospitals and hospices. Many people are not aware of the vital service they provide during the night and at weekends. Their charity is run entirely on donations.
“It is such a shame that their ability to provide the service, which is totally free of charge to the NHS – has been thwarted by an out of control car smashing into their blood bike. I believe it is of considerable importance that this voluntary Blood Bike motorcycle be replaced as a matter of urgency,” said Mr Loudon.
North Yorkshire Regional Manager for Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes, Andy Richardson said of the donation: “We’re thrilled to receive the recognition and support for our voluntary service by Mr Loudon. Today we’ve awarded him our highest accolade, to become a Whiteknights’ Champion.”
“Our voluntary service is continuing to operate to support the care of patients in Leeds, but we are finding it a uphill challenge now that we have one less blood bike in our area.”
Members of the public can donate towards replacing the Blood Bike through the Whiteknights’ Just Giving page use the link below.
https://www.justgiving.com/whiteknightsyorkshire-bloodbikes
Pictured are Whiteknights Volunteer Riders Andy Richardson and John Driscoll alongside Mr Loudon.
Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes regret to announce that one of our much needed operational service bikes has been destroyed by an out of control car.
The Yamaha FJR1300, one of a national cohort of specially tested and Type Approved Official Blood Bikes, was discovered in pieces and crushed against a brick wall in a public car park in Yorkshire.
The bike was parked up whilst the Whitenights Volunteer Rider was taking a break between jobs during his 12 hour operational shift.
North Yorkshire Regional Manager for Whiteknights, Andy Richardson said:
“It is such a shame to lose one of our Blood Bikes in this way. We try so hard to really care for the all the bikes in our fleet, which are purchased and operated entirely by donations from the public.
“We have three motorcycles on duty every night of the year throughout Yorkshire. Many of a our fleet of motorcycles cover high mileages and several are over five years old – but they really do provide a vitally important service transporting urgent blood samples, breast milk and medications for patients.
“Our voluntary service is continuing to operate to support the care of patients in the Leeds area, but we are finding it a uphill challenge now that we have one less blood bike to use. We are really going to miss it.”
Its remains unclear what exactly happened to the bike – but it received damage to it’s frame, fairing and forks – almost as if a car had driven over it.
Andy added: “It’s now down to our excellent friends and supporters in the public to be generous and donate whatever they can, no matter how small to help us put another much needed Yorkshire Blood Bike into operational life again.”
People can donate through their website: www,whiteknights.org.uk or by using the official Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes Just Giving Page : https://www.justgiving.com/whiteknightsyorkshire-bloodbikes