Why I volunteer…
“I was first introduced to the work of Northumbria Blood Bikes (NBB) when attending a fire station open day with my grandson, the NBB volunteers described the valuable work done by the organisation.
I joined NBB in the autumn of 2024 shortly after doing further research into the charity. Having retired from a career in the fire service, I was eager to do something where I could continue to contribute to my local community. The opportunity to contribute to helping the NHS was also a way of paying back in some small way for the wonderful care that my wife received when receiving treatment for cancer some years back. NBB has also given me the opportunity to combine this with my motorcycle riding hobby.
I volunteer in both a motorcycle rider and car driver capacity; this enables me to cover shifts in all weathers, where the use of motorcycles is restricted. I have also helped with fundraising events which is a great way of highlighting the work of the charity whilst also raising essential funds.
I try to do a minimum of two shifts a month; fitting this in with my role as a Trustee for another local charity, grandparent duties and my wedding photography business. I tend to cover evening/night shifts during the week and the odd weekend or bank holiday day shift where gaps are left in the rota. Although this makes for a busy life with everything combined, the feeling of satisfaction in doing something so important makes it worthwhile.
I’ve met some other great volunteers who always make each shift enjoyable but every now and again someone will stop me and express their gratitude for our work; these are often people who have needed a blood transfusion or have required urgent medical attention where they have required blood etc.
It’s still early days so I guess getting signed off after completing my rider and driver assessments is my first milestone.
Quite simply, after a 30+ year career in the fire service, volunteering with NBB has enabled me to continue doing something so worthwhile and payback just a little to our wonderful NHS.
My name is Adrian and that’s why I volunteer for Northumbria Blood Bikes.”
To sign up or for more information on our volunteer roles visit: http://www.northumbriabloodbikes.org.uk/support/volunteer
