Why I volunteer…
“I first heard about blood bikes about 6 years ago when reading a bike magazine, then went on line to have a look and found out about Northumbria Blood Bikes.
I was looking to retire from the NHS after 32 years and felt that I was still able to give something back to a service I had valued throughout my long working career, I was a keen biker and also a car driver so started to make enquiries about gaining advanced driving and riding qualifications. I joined blood bikes in 2015.
Initially my role was one of fundraising attending several events in mostly local supermarkets so represent blood bikers and to collect donations from the general public. Since then I have achieved advanced driving and riding status so I mostly volunteer as a driver but do the occasional bike shift too. I have done the training to be a speaker too but just haven’t been able to fit this in to my busy life yet.
Initially I was doing two shifts per week, mainly driving the Blood on Board car which transports blood that will be used by the air ambulance in Cumbria and in Teeside too. However due to grandchildren and other commitments I just do one shift per week now with the occasional long shift to help out when we are short staffed.
There is great support between riders and drivers who mostly have a shared interest in bikes/ cars and helping people. It has been great to meet new friends and to share our interests and devotion to the cause that the organization is committed to.
My most memorable moment is probably stopping on Hexham bridge to help talk to a young man sitting looking into the river, he said he was just stopping to have a smoke but it was good to link with an off duty police officer to ask the young man to get down. I then continued on my way to deliver the blood to colleagues from Cumbria blood bikes, who would take it to the Cumbria air ambulance.
It has maintained some purpose in life since I retired from work, it gives me the opportunity to meet other like minded people and to hopefully continue to serve a helpful purpose to the wider community and also importantly it helps the NHS to divert funding to patient care rather than to transport costs.
My name is Derek Henderson and that’s why I volunteer for Northumbria Blood Bikes.”
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