During this period of national mourning for Her Majesty. the late Queen Elizabeth II, Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes remain committed to serving their communities.

Here’s an update of our recent activities to benefit hospitals and hospices in Yorkshire. 

Tony and Laurence from Whiteknights West Yorkshire are pictured volunteering their Advanced Rider skills as safety marshals at the recent Midnight fundraising walk for Overgate Hospice.

We continue to support the marvellous work of our colleagues at Overgate Hospice. We are delighted to be of assistance.

Expressing our deepest sympathy, Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes acknowledge the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

We send our condolences to the Royal Family and pay tribute to her seventy year reign. Her commitment to the service of our country and the Commonwealth will be an enduring legacy.

Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes would like to thank Tesco Queensbury for their recent fundraising efforts to support the Yorkshire Blood Bike charity.

Over £700 has been raised from book sales and a collection outside the store.

Pictured are Whiteknights riders and Whiteknights’ Fundraising Manager, Mike Heath with Queensbury Tesco Branch Community Champion , Debbie Ayr alongside Tesco colleagues.

A West Yorkshire based company has paid for over 5500 urgent Blood Bike journeys to support the NHS, during its two-year sponsorship of Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes.

Volunteer Motorcyclists gathered at the Elland Headquarters of Terberg DTS UK Special Vehicles to publically thank the Terberg Charitable Foundation.

Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes West Yorkshire Manager, Matthew Butterfield commented: “Terberg has fuelled our fleet of Blood Bike Motorcycles for the last two years. In that time they have paid for the petrol of over 5500 urgent, “Out-of-hours,” Blood Bike motorcycle journeys.

“Having our fuel sponsored for the first time since our formation in 2008 has been instrumental in ensuring our vital work of supporting Hospitals and Hospices in the region could continue post-pandemic. Terberg DTS UK have also supplied and sponsored one of our motorcycles. They have been the most generous and supportive local business in the history of our charity and we are incredibly grateful for their support.”

Managing Director of Terberg DTS UK, Alisdair Cooper added:

“We wanted to recognise that our voluntary Blood Bikers in Yorkshire do a fabulous job to benefit our community and Yorkshire Patients. The riders achieve so much moving Blood Samples, medications, donated breast milk and medical supplies every day of the year. It’s been an absolute pleasure to support their voluntary work for this period.”

Pictured are volunteer Blood Bikers  alongside Whiteknights’ West Yorkshire Manager, Matthew Butterfield thanking Alisdair Cooper of Terberg DTS UK.

Next up for Blood Bike Day 2022 we join Whiteknights North Yorkshire riders who are joined by staff from the Hospital Pharmacy departments of York and Scarborough NHS Foundation Trust.

Pictured is Senior Pharmacy Technician, Cat Reed, joined by Senior Pharmacy Assistant, Arran Fletcher outside York Hospital.

Cat said to Whiteknights Advanced Qualified Volunteer Riders, Andy and Tony: “We really appreciate all that you do for us. We only call you when the medications and Controlled Drugs are urgently required somewhere.

sEveryone on the team knows that you’re volunteers and so we treat the Blood Bike service with the respect and value it deserves – you do a brilliant job!”

It’s now time to learn of what is possibly the most mission critical and time critical endeavour Whiteknights have the privilege of undertaking.

We’re delighted to introduce Dr Hemant Kulkami, Respiratory Consultant at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust who runs a specialist monthly PCD clinic.Each month, Whiteknights urgently transport Nasal Brush Biopsy samples from Sheffield to Leicester University for the diagnosis of a rare respiratory condition.

“Children with Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) have a problem with mucus build-up, which leads to infections and swelling of the airways and the ears. Ordinarily the mucus should be cleared by tiny hairs lining the airways called Cilia – but in a child with PCD this process is limited.

“In order to diagnose the condition, a sample of the Cilia are taken from the child’s nose. These samples are challenging to collect, and the procedure can be uncomfortable for the child. The samples are time sensitive and can deteriorate once taken. So its vital the samples are obtained from the patient and delivered to the lab within hours later that day.

““There are only three centres in England that can process the PCD samples. Once transported to the specialist respiratory centre at Leicester University the sample is then viewed under a microscope.”

Layla Austerberry, Respiratory Physiology Assistant, commented: “I personally think it’s great to have Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes providing this transportation service. With their experience in handling biological specimens, we know the samples will be in safe hands.”

Pictured is Dr Hemant Kulkami with Dr Elizabeth Gregson and clinical staff from the PCD Clinic at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

Our first posting on Blood Bike Day 2022: Time Critical, is from the West Yorkshire Team of Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes.

In the last 48 hours, Whiteknights were deployed to participate on a national Blood Bike relay and rendezvous with our friends and colleagues from Blood Bikes Manchester. The task: to collect at the handover, a consignment of urgently needed donated Breast Milk despatched by Wythenshawe Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Harry from Blood Bikes Manchester is pictured at the handover at the motorways services meeting point with Laurence from Whiteknights. Laurence then rapidly deployed to deliver the vital breast milk to the Neonatal Unit at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Many people have no idea that our volunteering work involves this kind of vital service which benefits the very youngest and most vulnerable of Yorkshire patients.

Please support the work of Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes and your local Blood Bike charity.Don’t miss our next posting about a #timecritical service from Whiteknights in South Yorkshire.

The Ladies group of Inner Wheel Hull Kingston, have decided to close their group after forty years of serving their local communities. At their final Charter event in June they decided to support two charities in their final year of fundraising. Following various fundraising opportunities they have made a donation of £1000 to Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes.

Pictured receiving the donation is PR Manager, Matthew from Whiteknights, Inner Wheel, District 137 Chairperson, Christine Smith, and Inner Wheel Hull Kingston President, Ann Johnson.