Teesside's Bloodrun EVS to tackle 24-hour challenge to raise funds
Two bloodbikes will travel from Land's End to John O'Groats
Two Bloodrun bikes in Teesside are covering a thousand miles in just 24 hours today to raise much needed funds for the charity.
Bloodrun EVS need £45,000 a year to survive to continuing saving lives by transporting blood and urgent medical items.
Chair Martin Dixon said: "We're not going to be using motorways, we're going to be using the kind of A roads, B roads to kind of simulate the jobs that we do on a daily basis. We operate 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year, so it does say everything about what we do.
"We've also got some other blood bike groups across the country joining us for certain legs of the ride as well, just to offer some support.
"Before we started setting up this fundraising ride, we didn't anticipate fuel was going to go up. Obviously now it has, so it plays an even bigger part in our fundraising. Obviously it's going to cost us a lot of money to do the run, but we're quite lucky that we have got some businesses on board which are going to kind of cover our costs for doing the fundraising ride as well.
"We need around about £45,000 a year and our biggest spend is fuel, next is our insurance for our cars and bikes. And then it's all the overhead costs of training and everything else like that, but predominantly fuel and insurance.
"It is quite a big challenge. The riders that are going to be doing the challenge are all advanced riders. Some have come from backgrounds of police riding, so they've got a lot of experience. All of our riders are advanced as well through Rossborough and IAM.
"There's a lot of planning going in to achieve it. So we've got a backup rider and we've got a support car."
Challenge details
The LeJog24 ride will see two marked Bloodrun bikes will travel from Land's End to John O'Groats, covering around 1,000 miles in just 24 hours.
The route will involve no motorways, no toll roads, and will be completed while observing all speed limits and riding safely at all times. That is what makes this such a demanding challenge. This is not simply a motorway ride to cover distance as quickly as possible.
It will be a true test of endurance, planning and teamwork, designed to reflect the dedication and commitment Bloodrun volunteers show every day while supporting the NHS 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Bloodrun volunteers give their time to transport blood, samples, medication and other urgent medical items in support of patient care. It is a vital service that often happens behind the scenes, but it plays an important part in helping the NHS deliver life-saving treatment.
Organisers said: "As volunteers, we wanted to create a challenge that highlights that commitment in a bold and visible way.
"To complete it safely, the event will involve not only the riders but also a two-person support crew, careful fuel planning, scheduled rest stops and full logistical support throughout. It is a major undertaking, and every mile will represent the professionalism, resilience and community spirit that Bloodrun volunteers bring to the role.
"We are hoping to use this challenge to do two things: raise funds and raise awareness. By sharing the event through social media, media coverage and public updates, we want more people to understand the difference Bloodrun makes every day."
Find out more about Bloodrun on their website.