In this harrowing time of a global pandemic, most of us are feeling some level of anxiety. In the UK, various groups of volunteer Blood Bikers across the country are continuing to ride, helping both their communities and themselves during this extremely troubling time.
Before the pandemic, the entirely volunteer regional fleets of riders regularly transported blood products, samples, breast milk, and medical equipment that could fit in panniers. Now that we’re all in the midst of the COVID-19 era, Blood Biker services are even more vital.
Doing What We Can:
For a start, trained Blood Bikers are now transporting COVID-19 samples to facilities for testing. Beyond that, these moto volunteers are also delivering critical personal protective equipment (PPE) to healthcare workers who are on the front lines of this pandemic.
Gallery: UK Blood Bikers
In fact, some members of the Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Cheshire Blood Bikes have formed a separate volunteer organization on top of their usual Blood Bike runs. They’re calling it Visor Bikes, and concentrating efforts on rounding up 3D-printed and other maker-created clear face shields and visors to take to frontline medical workers.
A lot of us feel better when we’re helping, so in a very real way, riding to provide these critical services is perhaps the best form of self-care. If you’re thinking this sounds like an excellent time to jump in and volunteer to be a Blood Biker yourself, regional teams are currently not accepting new volunteers at this time because of social distancing requirements. Orientation and training require personal interactions that are simply not safe for anyone at this time.
Financial donations are always appreciated, since the Blood Bikers are an entirely volunteer organization, and are not taxpayer funded. Once this pandemic period has passed, the likelihood of regional Blood Bikers groups opening up their volunteer rosters will be much greater.
Sources: Facebook, Visor Bikes, Blood Bikes Scotland, North West Blood Bikes Lancashire and Lakes