Blood Bikers | Unsung Heroes of the Night

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There are many aspects to the National Health Service that allow it to function, albeit pushed to its limits. It is the largest employer of jobs in the UK, taking in around 1.7 million workers including doctors, nurses and ambulance staff across the country.

What many people don’t know is that the NHS also relies on many volunteers. One of these diverse volunteer groups is the Blood Bikers, an unpaid and selfless bunch of about 2,870 volunteers who spend their evenings out in the night furiously criss-crossing cities in order to get people the vital supplies they need to survive. A community made up of all types of people with different backgrounds from engineers, police officers and bricklayers to company directors and many more. To make the job safer, Custom Lids jumped on board to supply customised helmets at a discounted price to help support this invaluable service.

It’s not a romantic job but one that needs to be done. Often taking this on as a second unpaid role after their day jobs have come to a close, these couriers choose the night as their preferred time to work, encountering less traffic. Why do they do it? Because everyone needs a silent hero.
In fact, in 2014, talk of their importance to the NHS led to rumours that the government was looking into amending traffic regulations to allow Blood Bikers more freedom to move through the cities.
The growing demand for their work can be seen by NHS requests for Blood Bikers increasing from 34,000 requests in 2013 to 39,000 in 2015.
There are 27 individual member groups across the UK working towards the common goal; to deliver vital supplies to hospitals when they are needed. Blood Bikers never know the specific purpose of what they are delivering other than its urgency and potential to save a person’s life. This crucial service is provided to the NHS at no cost, providing a welcome saving to an organisation already stretched to its financial limits. The group buy all their bikes and modify them for the utmost efficiency, namely against adverse weather conditions and with improved luggage capacity. This explains why donations are so important, especially as Blood Bikers relies entirely on voluntary contribution.

The late hours these riders stick to more than often means you will never see them out on the roads, but keeping them there is of undeniable importance. You never know when the next call is going to come.