Severn Freewheelers

Severn Freewheelers EVS
Founded March 2007[1]
Type Registered charity
Registration no. 1120999
Focus NHS motorcycle courier
Area served
Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, North Wiltshire
Revenue
£54,470 (year ending 31 Dec 2010)[1]
Volunteers
70[2]
Website www.severnfreewheelers.co.uk

Severn Freewheelers Emergency Voluntary Service is a Blood Bikes charity based in the Severn Valley in western England. Founded in 2007,[3] it provides a free motorcycle courier service to hospitals in the region, operating a fleet of emergency-equipped motorcycles which are ridden and co-ordinated by volunteers. Severn Freewheelers is a founder-member of the Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes (NABB) and co-operates with similar organisations in the area including Freewheelers EVS (Bristol and Somerset), SERV (south England) and Midland Freewheelers (north-west Birmingham).

Operations

Severn Freewheelers works for hospitals in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and north Wiltshire, with its operations extending into southern Birmingham and Coventry. Major hospitals served include Gloucester Royal, Cheltenham General, Worcester Royal, Redditch Alexandra and Swindon Great Western, with many smaller hospitals also served including Kidderminster, Bromsgrove, Malvern, Tenbury Wells, Evesham, Pershore, Tewkesbury, Moreton-in-Marsh, Cinderford, Stroud, Dursley, Cirencester, Chippenham and Savernake.

Operating between 7 pm and 7 am on weekdays and 24 hours at weekends and public holidays, the charity provides a fast and reliable service enabling hospitals to avoid the need to use taxis or commercial couriers, saving the NHS an estimated £150,000 each year across the area.

All riders hold an advanced motorcycling certificate from RoSPA or the IAM, or an equivalent police qualification, and riders are regularly re-assessed to ensure high standards are maintained.

By September 2016, the charity had covered over 1,175,000 miles, had responded to more than 30,000 calls,[4] and was receiving over 300 calls each month. Items carried include samples for pathological or micro-biological analysis, blood and blood products for transfusion, patient notes, drugs, scans and medical equipment. A recent development has been the collection of human breast milk from donors’ homes and its transport to human milk banks at Oxford, Bristol and Birmingham.

Fund-raising

In 2011 the charity held its first Prescott Bike Festival at the Prescott Hill Climb circuit near Bishop’s Cleeve in Gloucestershire, which attracted some 5,000 visitors.[5] This has since become a regular event in April each year, and is complemented by a similar event at the Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb circuit from September 2015.

It also mounts displays at local shows such as the Three Counties Show, the Cotswold Show, the Emergency Services Show,[6] and local music festivals, and attends motorcycle safety events such as BikeSafe. Several motorcycling celebrities including racers Carl Fogarty and Jamie Whitham have offered to help support the charity in raising funds to support its work.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 "Charity Framework". Charity Commission. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  2. ↑ "Life-saving riders unveil new vehicle". Gloucester Echo. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  3. ↑ "The Wheel Thing". Redditch Advertiser. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  4. ↑ "Voluntary Blood Bikers take 10,000th Call". Worcester News. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  5. ↑ "Prescott Bike Festival set to be best yet". Redditch Advertiser. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  6. ↑ "999 heroes put on a show for thousands". Swindon Advertiser. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  7. ↑ "Biking Legends Backing Charity". Gloucester Echo. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
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