Caught this today on Radio 4 about a charity organisation called Manchester Blood Bikes its starts around 24.20 in on the bbc i player link http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01mdg9w/You_and_Y...rket_wine/   seemed a worthwhile cause and good to see volunteer bikers get some recognition and airtime for the charity work they do.                                                                                                                                                                              

Yes the guys are doing a damn fine splendid job in and around Manchester                                                                                                                                                                               

    Nice one Roo   As an inverterate Radio 4 listener   I was surprised that I'd missed this   But well worth a listen   A good "positive" story about bikers for a change                                                                                                                                                                                  

Some years back (30) in North London, yes London where we're all hobby bikers ;o) I was part of an organisation called the Emergency Voluntary Service [EVS] doing much the same thing, transferring stocks of blood across the capital and sometimes beyond.
We'd do a 12 hour 7pm - 7am shift from the base in, as I recall, a converted potting shed on an allotment that somehow we'd managed to get a phone line installed in.
It was ok in the summer but my god it was awful in the winter.
The team unfortunately folded but I'm wondering if the Manchester Blood Bikes are part of the National Association of Blood Bikes, got me looking for London branch now !!                                                                                                                                                                             

hi im a member of serv we are the biggest group of blood runners in the country i been delivering blood for 6 years in sussex we are getting more puplicity since the honda advert but the best reconition you can get is when you turn up and parents are standing there waiting and thank you personaly you then rember why you do it baza

Baza, is there a london specific wing of SERV or is the capital covered by the outlying counties ?

Graham                                                                                                                                                                             

Yes I also think that this is a great thing that these bikers are doing &  "Well Done"                                                                                                                                                                              

Top chaps                                                                                                                                                                              

This sure did bring memories back of the 60s/70s when bikers used to ferry blood all over for us. Brilliant guys too.
Well done lads , keep up the great and needy work...                                                                                                                                                                              

The website for the northwest blood bikes is   http://nwbloodbikes.org/