Shropshire.Staffordshire.Cheshire Blood Bikes (SSBB) latest brand-new motorbike is now all set to help the local community, thanks to the amazing fundraising efforts of staff at local firm Russell Roof Tiles.
The volunteer-led charity, SSBB, provides an urgent, free of charge service to NHS foundations, by transporting vital blood products, bone marrow, breast milk for premature babies and other life-critical supplies to local hospitals via motorbike, where every minute counts in helping seriously ill and injured patients.
SSBB undertakes approximately 5,000 jobs a year covering over 200,000 miles which takes its toll on the motorbikes used.
The charity has bought a new Yamaha FJR (at a cost of £15,700) which has been kindly funded by Russell Roof Tiles. Staff at the manufacturer raised an amazing £32,500 last year – they danced, hiked, ran and quizzed their way to raising the cash. The monies raised was split equally between SSBB and Dumfries and Galloway Blood Bikes.
The SSBB team recently visited Russell Roof Tiles Wetmore Lane in Burton site to show its staff the new motorbike. The new bike has been named Bundy, in recognition of the dedication to the charity by Nigel Bundy, a blood biker, who died last May and was the husband of the charity’s then Chair Helen Bundy.
Helen commented “My family feel incredibly honoured that an SSBB blood bike has been named in Nigel’s memory. The words ‘thank you’ don’t really express our gratitude enough to Andrew and his team at Russell Roof Tiles for making this happen. It allows a wonderful legacy for both the family and all the volunteers in the charity.”
Over the last two years Russell Roof Tiles has donated £56,000 to the two blood bikes charities. Most of the company’s 100 staff at its two Burton sites, on Wetmore Lane and Nicolson Way and its sister site in Lochmaben participated in the fundraising efforts in some form or other.
Andrew Hayward, Managing Director at Russell Roof Tiles added: “The team and I are delighted that the money we raised will go towards the great work SSBB does which operates 24/7 on a totally voluntarily basis and does not receive any government or local authority finance.”
