Today we join our Blood Bike family nationwide in celebrating #BloodBikeDay.

Our volunteers deliver blood and urgent medical supplies, out of hours, across the North East of England. We rarely find out who we have helped but sometimes we are met at the door by medical teams who have been awaiting our arrival as the delivery is time critical.

Professor Bob Jarman, Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Patron of Northumbria Blood Bikes, said: “As an experienced emergency physician in a busy urban A&E department, I am always aware of the need to ensure that time-critical care is given as soon as clinically required. It is very reassuring to know that professional organisations, such as Northumbria Blood Bikes, provide an amazing and free service to our local northeast hospitals, by transporting urgent samples and blood.”

Landmarks across our region will be lighting up red in support of our charity helping us to celebrate our awareness day. Look out for buildings, bridges and monuments illuminated red: Newcastle Civic Centre, the Tyne Bridge, other council owned buildings across Newcastle, Millennium Bridge Gateshead, Penshaw Monument, Northern Spire, Hylton Castle, Keel Square, High Street West Sunderland and Lighthouse (Cliffe Park).

Our charity exists entirely on charitable donations and as our main monthly expense is fuel for our fleet we are also being hit by the increase in prices with our monthly fuel bills over £4,000. It is thanks to public donations that we are able to remain operational and your support enables us to be there to assist in people’s healthcare journeys.

To find out more, either to become a volunteer or make a donation, please visit: www.northumbriabloodbikes.org.uk