A York Member of Parliament has commended a North Yorkshire voluntary charity for the way it has been collaborating to support St Leonard’s Hospice in York during the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Rachael Maskell MP, the Shadow Minister for the Voluntary Sector and Charities visited St Leonards Hospice, meeting nursing staff and volunteer motorcyclists from Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes.
“I’ve come to see the work of Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes in the way they serve St Leonard’s by transporting samples and supplies around the city and beyond to back-up the NHS and other health providers at this really crucial time.
“Over the last several months, we’ve seen how people have stepped up in order to support their communities. The more people who come forward to volunteer, it really does help support all of those activities, and of course charities themselves need support at this time as well.
“It’s incredible to think that people give up their time to do that and to provide that essential support at a time when we really need it – I’m so grateful for the organisation for being there.”
Emma Johnson, Chief Executive at St Leonard’s Hospice, said: “We really value the support from Whiteknights, who we frequently call upon at night and during weekends to transport medical items and supplies for us. The volunteers have been invaluable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you to all of them on behalf of our clinical team and our patients.”
“During the summer we have been able to recruit a small number of volunteers to further strengthen our dedicated team of volunteer Advanced-Qualified motorcyclists. They all say how rewarding they find volunteering with us.”
North Yorkshire Regional Manager for Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes, Dave Dickinson also announced to the MP for York Central: “Now the second lockdown has returned, Whiteknights North Yorkshire are again returning to a 24/7 operational service, to support the NHS and hospices in our area. This increases our availability on top of the Out-Of-Hours, overnight and weekend service we provide free-of-charge.”
Pictured alongside nursing colleagues from St Leonards Hospice is Rachael Maskell MP, with North Yorkshire Regional Manager, Dave Dickinson and volunteer rider, Gary Parkinson of Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes.
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