Seventy-six Freemasons with friends and family descended on Brocton Golf Club near Stafford on Sunday 11th February to see the Head of Staffordshire Freemasons John Lockley hand over a brand-new motorcycle named 'Staffordshire Freemason's to Lynne Stone, Vice Chair, Corporate Fund Raiser from the Blood Bikes. Also present to see the handover was the Deputy Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England, Sir David Hugh Wootton and the Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire, Ian Dudson CBE.
The £15,500 needed to buy the bike was raised with donations of £4,000 from the Staffordshire Grand Stewards Lodge, £300 from Gordon Lodge, £500 from Staffordshire Masonic Clay Shooting Club and the final £10,700 from Provincial funds authorised by John Lockley.
This year, the Blood Bikes are celebrating their 10th Anniversary - 10 years of delivering urgent blood-related medical samples such as frozen donated breast milk, placentas, bone marrow, medication and vital equipment. All were delivered free of charge to local hospitals and on liveried motorbikes.
The thousands of deliveries in 2023 included 4,500 blood samples; amongst other deliveries are platelets for the treatment of certain cancers and breast milk, which is vital for those poorly babies in neonatal care.
The Blood Bikes can be proud that during the COVID-19 pandemic, they delivered urgent COVID-19 samples for testing and pulse oximeters into care homes, responding positively to the acute needs of our NHS.
In the first ten years, the Blood Bikes have travelled 2,055,897 miles and made 43,580 deliveries. There are nearly 400 members, made up of 210 riders (a number are Freemasons) and 53 controllers, with a fleet of 17 bikes. These bikes are strategically located in the three counties served by Blood Bikes. In 2018, Blood Bikes was honoured to receive the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service.
Looking forward, the Blood Bikes have a big task in meeting the changing needs of our local NHS; they need to constantly review operations and constitution to ensure they can evolve and prosper in a changing world. They are currently undergoing trials on using a Blood Van for those freezing conditions when they need to fulfil an urgent service request, and it is unsafe for a blood bike to be on the road.
In giving a speech about the Blood Bikes, Lynne Stone said:
'Today is about a Bike - a very special bike. It is the 5th bike that has been bought for us by the Masons. All our bikes have a name- frequently a very emotive name which remembers or recognises a particular individual or organisation. This bike is a BMW 1250 RS, complete with blood tray, Tracker and Sat Nav. and proudly bears the name Staffordshire Freemason's. He will be based locally in Staffordshire, and you can follow his operational jobs on our Facebook page.
On behalf of us all at Shropshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire Blood Bikes I would like to thank the Staffordshire Freemasons for their support and generosity. Thank you.'
In handing over the keys to the bike, John Lockley said:
'I am proud that the masons are continuing to support the Blood Bikes who carry out such essential work, saving the NHS millions of pounds, which can then be used for front-line patient treatment. I wish you every success in the future.'
