For Blood Bike day 2024 Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes are taking the High Sheriff of West Yorkshire, Prof. Malik to see two of the hospital departments at Calderdale Royal Hospital, which we are proud to support with an urgent delivery service on a nightly basis.

Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes regularly respond to, on average, 300 urgent call-outs each month.

Pictured in the Neonatal Unit are Prof. Malik, Jo-ann Cornelly, Clinical Nurse Manager and Steph Padden, Family Support Assistant.

Steph is explaining how the donated Breast Milk Bank operates at CRH and how much they appreciate Whiteknights collecting milk from their donors and delivering to the Neonatal unit.

Prof Malik later went on to visit a lady who had donated over 200 litres of breast milk during the first year since her child’s birth.

Time to reveal our very special guest for Blood Bike Day 2024 on the Yorkshire Blood Bikes Facebook Page.

Introducing the King’s Representative in West Yorkshire, High Sheriff of West Yorkshire, Professor Adeeba Malik CBE DL.

Professor Malik, West Yorkshire’s first Asian female High Sheriff, wanted to experience and to see for herself how Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes Volunteers, “GO BEYOND” to regularly exceed expectations with our remarkable volunteering to support hospitals and hospices.

Join Professor Malik as she takes to West Yorkshire Roads as a Pillion Passenger riding alongside an on-call Yorkshire Blood Bike.

Join us again later to see her progress.

Ready to deploy as an honourary Blood Biker: Piloted by Steve Harker, Professor Adeeba Malik and On-call Advanced-Qualified Volunteer Rider, Stu Stirrat

Welcome to National Blood Bike Awareness Day 2024 on the Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood BIkes Facebook Page.

This year’s theme is “Going Beyond”. We are very excited to have a special guest Blood Biker joining us today to see at first hand, how our remarkable volunteers “Go Beyond” 365 days a year to support patients, hospitals and hospices in Yorkshire.

Follow us throughout the day to learn more about the voluntary work of Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes.

Yorkshire family donates Blood Car to Yorkshire Charity.

The family of a post-war era, North York Moors AA Patrol Man has presented a donated Blood Car to Whiteknights, the Yorkshire Voluntary Blood Bike Charity.

Bertil Wilson, patrolled the North Yorkshire Moors from the 1950’s to the 1980’s, initially on a motorbike and sidecar and was renowned in his local community.

His son Peter added: “As an AA Rider, my dad went out in all weathers all year round – just like Yorkshire Blood Bike Riders do. So I thought it would be a nice touch to name the car we have donated in his honour. I think he would have been chuffed to bits really – the “Boy Wilson” Blood car looks brilliant now it has its high-vis graphics on.”

The car, which was unveiled in Leeds at Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice, will be used to transport urgent blood specimen samples, donated breast milk, and urgent medications by volunteer drivers at no cost to Hospices and the NHS.

Regional Manager for Whiteknights, Andy Richardson said, “We’re delighted to have a car to use during adverse weather conditions and national relays. Prior to this donation volunteers were using their own vehicles in freezing winter temperatures when it was unsafe to use our fleet of motorcycles.”

Whiteknights began collecting samples from Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice in Headingley in 2021.

The hospice provides expert palliative care and support for people who are living with a life-limiting condition.

Paul Musgrave, Service Director at Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice, said:

“We’re so grateful for this fantastic free service that Whiteknights provide. Being able to carry out important tests and to know that samples will be collected and processed out of hours is extremely important to us. It means we can carry on providing the best possible palliative care and be there when it matters for the people of Leeds.”

Pictured are Healthcare Assistants, Beth Parry and Carole Moore, Senior Therapy Assistant, Liz Pallister, Wheatfields Hospice Service Director, Paul Musgrave alongside Whiteknights Volunteers, Adam Meek and Andy Richardson.

For more information on Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice, visit www.sueryder.org/Wheatfields

Donations can be made via their JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/sueryder

Kippax community members have donated to Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bike to support their urgent deliveries.

The West Yorkshire charity used volunteer motorcyclists to make urgent deliveries of blood samples and medication during the night and at weekends. A voluntary service which is entirely free to the NHS.

Members of the Open House Group at Kippax Methodist Church joined the customers of Auto Spare Kippax to make a donation of over £300.

Pictured is Advanced-Qualified Volunteer Rider, John SIngleton who added : “We really appreciate the generosity of these groups of people from the Kippax community. Every penny we receive goes to providing this vital out of hours service.”

Pictured is Whiteknights Volunteer, John Singleton alongside Ian Wilkinson of Auto Spares Kippax and members of the Kippax Open House Group.

Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bike North Team would like to thank Wasim Aslam of the Aagrah Restaurant, Garforth, Leeds for generously supporting the Yorkshire Blood Bike Charity.

Eleven Whiteknights Volunteer Riders were treated to a complimentary meal at a recent social gathering.

The evening also saw the first appearance of a newly liveried, donated vehicle, which will receive its public unveiling very soon.

Pictured is Whiteknights’ North Yorkshire Regional Manager, Andy Richardson, alongside Wasim Aslam of the Aagrah Restaurant, Garforth.

If you or your business would like to recognise and support our volunteers right across Yorkshire – we’d love to hear from you.

Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes have been analysing the statistics of our voluntary urgent delivery activities for the entire year of 2023.

Below are the total 2023 statistics of our charity’s service to the NHS and to the Hospices we support.We responded to 3254 Urgent call-outs for local patients. Then we participated in 64 national relays alongside our neighbouring Blood Bike Groups to benefit a patient elsewhere in the country.

Isn’t that remarkable? We delivered 2362 Blood and Covid samples, nearly a thousand Pharmacy items and medications for patients and made 32 donated Breast Milk deliveries.

UK Blood Bike groups provide a vital, potentially life-saving service 365 days a year.

The Whiteknights’ fleet of Blood Bikes travelled over ninety thousand miles with almost 5800 volunteer hours on call covering the whole of Yorkshire.

We genuinely believe we have saved the NHS well over £100,000 in urgent transportation costs during 2023.

This voluntary service is entirely reliant on public donations.

Please consider making a donation to us at this time to support us through the winter.

https://www.justgiving.com/whiteknightsyorkshire-bloodbikes

The Whiteknights’ motto: – “We would never presume to have saved a life – but we’re very proud to think we make a real difference.”

Whiteknights would like to thank the members of Yorvik Vikings, the York branch of the Triumph Owners Motorcycle Club, for raising £379 in aid of Whiteknights.

A huge thank you. Pictured are Branch Chairman, Rob Huxtable and North Yorkshire Regional Manager, Andy Richardson.