Blood Bikes group given Queen's Award for voluntary service

The 300-strong group of volunteers use motorbikes to make deliveries between hospitals including Royal Preston, Chorley and South Ribble and Blackpool Victoria hospitals and around the country.

They have now been given the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service – the highest award available to volunteer groups.

Chairman Paul Brooks said: “Since we started in May 2012 we have successfully completed 23,000 transports of urgently required items between hospitals, saving the hospitals money but more importantly helping to save lives.

“We are often asked how many people we have helped and the bottom line is, we rarely get to know, it could be a handful or several hundreds, all we know is that what we do helps our fellow man/woman”.

He added: “This award is shared by all our volunteers, they have all worked selflessly to do what we do and to receive this is the finest of thanks we could ever wish to receive.”

Civil Society Minister Rob Wilson said: “I would like to congratulate all groups who received this year’s Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

“The huge amount of work and commitment these organisations put into their communities is surpassed only by the passion and motivation of the individuals who volunteer.”

Mr Brooks and his wife Denise, who is also a controller for North West Blood Bikes have been to Buckingham Palace to collect the honour.