Why I volunteer…
“I first heard about Blood Bikes from a television program that was re-run about a blood bike group in the south of the country. I have been involved with the charity since January 2016, gaining my advanced car and bike qualifications in February & March respectively. I joined as I remember thinking during the television program that was on that it must be very rewarding to give your time to such a worthy cause and I was right! I am a Rider, Driver, Coordinator, Speaker and I also shadow new members if requested to settle them into their first shift.
My employer is highly supportive of me, even giving me paid time off to do blood bike activities, I am also a member of the local RNLI Lifeboat, who are equally supportive. Most supportive of all is my long suffering missus who is very supportive and patient when the phone goes at 2am and I climb out bed trying my best not to disturb her.
Without doubt, the best thing I have experienced is the guys and girls I am on shift with, the comradeship, the shared pro-social attitude and banter makes a rewarding activity all the more enjoyable. I will often book a shift when I am “not feeling like it” purely because of the lads and lasses I am on shift with. I was on shift on the 1 year anniversary of the ‘BOB’ run (Blood on Board). There was an event whereby every person who had ever been saved by the Blood on Board service was invited to attend, all of them did. Although I was not directly involved, I can remember looking in awe at the group of individuals, their wives, husbands, families and friends and thinking what an amazing orginisation this is. We move silently through the night transporting vital medical supplies from point to point and often have no idea of the impact the item we are carrying may have on the person who is to receive it, and it can become almost routine, that event underlined and highlighted to me the utter importance of the work we do. I can remember feeling particularly proud of the orginisation, (and myself), on that day.
One thing I would say to anybody thinking of joining would be simply… Do it, and do it promptly! There are few more rewarding ways to spend your time than this, we take things that are needed to places they are useful, we are a cog in a machine that protects and lengthens life, and it certainly beats watching the telly!
My name is Adam Pickering and that is why I volunteer for Northumbria Blood Bikes.”
#VolunteersWeek #MakeADifference #BloodBikes
