Freewheelers EVS

Infobox Non-profit
Non-profit_name = Freewheelers EVS
Non-profit_
Non-profit_type = Registered charity
founded_date = January 1991
founder =
location =
origins =
key_people =
area_served = Somerset, Bristol, Bath
product =
focus = NHS motorcycle courier
method =
revenue =
endowment =
num_volunteers = 65cite journal | last = Bolton | first = Adam | date = August | month = 2007 | title = Blood Brothers | journal = Motorcycle Sport & Leisure | pages = pp. 46–50 | publisher = Mortons Media Group Ltd | issn = 1478-839X | url = http://www.freewheelers.org.uk/docs/MSL-Aug2007.pdf]
num_employees =
num_members =
subsib =
owner =
Non-profit_slogan = Riding For Life
homepage = http://www.freewheelers.org.uk
dissolved =
footnotes =

Freewheelers Emergency Voluntary Service is a registered charity based in South West England. The charity, which was founded in Weston-super-Mare in 1991, owns and operates a fleet of Honda ST1300 Pan-European motorcycles, which are ridden by volunteers, to provide a free-of-charge emergency courier service to local hospitals.

The charity operates in Somerset, Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.cite web | url= http://www.nbt.nhs.uk/media/Releases/2006/October/161006.htm | title= Freewheelers hoping for a helping hand this November | date= 16 October 2006 | publisher= North Bristol NHS Trust | accessdate= 2008-02-01] It is used by NHS hospitals in the area such as Frenchay, Southmead, Weston General, the RUH in Bath, and Musgrove Park in Taunton. The charity's volunteers transport blood for transfusion, blood samples for pathological or microbiological analysis, drugs, patient notes, x-rays, scans and medical equipment.

Freewheelers operates outside regular business hours from 19:00 to 07:00 during the week and 24 hours at weekends and public holidays. All its riders hold an advanced motorcycling qualification, such as IAM or RoSPA.

Accolades

In 2008, Freewheelers EVS was awarded the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, [cite web | url= http://www.queensawardvoluntary.gov.uk/winners/southwest08.html | title= 2008 Winners, South West | work= The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service | publisher= The Cabinet Office |accessdate= 2008-06-03] [cite news | url= http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144936&command=displayContent&sourceNode=144919&contentPK=20772752 | publisher= Bristol Evening Post | title= BLOOD BIKERS GET NOD FROM QUEEN | date= 3 June 2008 | accessdate= 2008-06-03] the highest award that can be given to a voluntary organisation in the United Kingdom and equivalent to an MBE.cite news | url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/7431398.stm | title= Top award for volunteer couriers | publisher= BBC News | date= 2 June 2008 | accessdate= 2008-06-03]

In July 2008 Freewheelers EVS was awarded the Chair’s Community Award of 2008/09 by the Chair of Bath and North East Somerset Council, Councillor David Bellotti at the Guidhall in Bath. [cite web|url=http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/BathNES/media/news/2008/July/Chairmancongratulatesunsungheroeswhohelptransportbloodtoinjuredpatients.Inform117|title=Chairman congratulates 'unsung heroes' who help transport blood to injured patients|work=Press Release|publisher=Bath and North East Somerset Council|accessdate=2008-07-25]

References

External links

* [http://www.freewheelers.org.uk Official website]
*UK charity|1001067|Freewheelers EVS
* [http://freewheelers.smugmug.com Freewheelers photographs]
* [http://www.bloodbikes.org.uk Similar blood bike groups in the UK]