Blood Bike Volunteering?

[zark]

So a quick search shows nothing recent here at about Blood Bikes. (Apart from this one and one other. But nothing recent)

After browsing the couriering thread and thinking - 'i enjoy riding, but couriering is too much effort for too little reward' i thought about what else i could do to justify spending more time on the bike - or even making beter use of the time i do spend on it.

So blood biking - i get it's a charity that collects "stuff" and volunteers that take it from one place to another OBO the NHS. Probably overnight. Probably when it's raining.

Does anyone do it/has done it? There's also no group in my local area according to the website - so is it worth even looking at?

I get the whole - 'wannabe 999 riders' thing and that doesn't particularly interest me, though additional bike assessment/training might (depending on cost)

So,

TL;DR - blood bikes - talk to me.
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CBT - Oct 13. Theory - July 14. Mod 1 & 2 - June 15.
Rides a Fazer like an idiot... Edit: Now ride a Fazer Thou...

[ScaredyCat]

Apparently if you do it you're actually evil...



Oh those poor couriers...
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Honda CBF125 ➝ NC700X
Honda CBF125 ↳ Speed Triple

[Motorhate]

Was thinking about doing it myself a while back. You'll need a bike that can carry their top-box with the blood in it. Its a rewarding job and you get to meet some good people. You'll be on call though so you'll need to have a reliable signal.
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Current - Harley Davidson FXDB Street Bob | Harley Davidson FLTR Road Glide | Harley Davidson Road King
GONE - Honda CB500 Ratbike | Yamaha FZ750 | Yamaha XVS1100 | Kawasaki VN2000 | Kawasaki ER-6 F | Harley Davidson XL883L Sportster

[Rogerborg]

If there's no local group, I imagine you'd want to talk to your local trust or hospital about it first and see if they're even interested.

[Gunhawk]

I started to look at the local one here, but you need an advanced qualification (ILM thingy) so ruled it out for me
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Current: Honda VFR800 VTEC
Previous: Honda CBF125, Honda XL650 Transalp, Honda CBR600f3
CBT: 19/5/12 > Theory: 06/08/12 > MOD1: 29/08/12 > MOD2: 16/10/12

[bladeblaster]

I looked into it locally, they provide the bike, you have to have IAMS cert, and a white helmet. They prefer you to be able to garage the bike while in your possession.

[Beehive Bedlam]

[JonE]

[LustyLew]

Once visited the SERV stand at bike show in London.

The guy on the stand couldn't have been more miserable if he tried. My friend I was with used to ride for what was Essex Ambulance Service, had is RoSPA and IAM but the guy was just so disinterested in drumming up business/interest/support.

Gave up trying to make conversation/show an interest.

From what we leaned, you ride your own bike and be expected to get a call in the middle of the night.

Requirements for SERV South London & Surrey.
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Like a Yorkie - I'm not for the girls

[Beehive Bedlam]

[someotherguy]

[bladeblaster]

[Confusion]

[quote="bladeblaster"]

[Rogerborg]

[Motorhate]

[bamt]

My local group prefer you to use your own bike; there are two marked up ones, but you have to have done at least 10 duties on your own bike, commit to doing at least 3 per month and be between 30 and 70 to be allowed to use them.

Regardless, you need to have a current IAM/RoSPA qualification, be a member of the relevant advanced group and be rechecked every three years. Plus have held a full licence for at least two years, have no more than 3 points on it and do some specific SERV training.

[Rogerborg]

All those hoops to jump through, when the alternative is slinging a pile of patient notes at Nardo from Cheepy Cabs.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Sload]

[Undinist]

Is there an option to shag nurses? I'd need quite a juicy reward if I was going to spend 2 nights per month helping the Tories to cut the NHS budget. That's what this service is all about. If the hospitals had enough money they'd pay couriers. The last time I was a courier I carried small blood boxes with samples in them, for blood tests I suppose. Our client was St Georges Hospital in Tooting. If I went there as a Hero Volunteer Blood Runner, would the nurses be gagging for it? They weren't exactly queuing up when I was a lowly courier. And I didn't meet anyone, unless you count queueing at a hatch waitting for the lab technician.
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Current bike: K1100RS. Previous: CD200, GSX250, GT550, VFR750, K100LT, K1100LT, R1100GS, R1150GS, ZZR1100, Hayabusa, RSV Mille, MV F4 750S, R1, ZX-10, KTM Adventure 950S

[johnsmith222]

As someone who has worked on the receiving side of getting samples from blood bikers. The answer is don't. You're wasting your time delivering samples that aren't particularly urgent and taking money away from proper couriers.

You aren't saving anyone's life. You're just getting taken advantage of.

It's a shite setup and not needed imo. Better off spending your time working more and donating to a foodbank or something.

Seems like a setup purely so people can get them some sort of status or something imo.

[Pie-Roe]

[Undinist]

Good news on the nurse. If I did the blood rider thing I wouldn't have the discipline to stick to all the rules of the road, I always ride like a courier. Do people get very arsey if you don't ride to IAM standards?
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Current bike: K1100RS. Previous: CD200, GSX250, GT550, VFR750, K100LT, K1100LT, R1100GS, R1150GS, ZZR1100, Hayabusa, RSV Mille, MV F4 750S, R1, ZX-10, KTM Adventure 950S

[Michelle L]

I had a friend do this a few months back , he gave it up because he got sick and tired of waiting for them to call.
He did get called out once or twice but that was just about it..
Harlow area...
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Ride safe , if you can not ride safe , ride free....

[Undinist]

Maybe that was because of a shortage of controllers? In June one of the Surrey and South London riders wrote a sad story about not being called:

[arry]