Lunch time meeting - Derek Sachs - Blood Bikes

On Thursday 5th March 2020 President Ewen Macdonald welcomed 16 Club Rotarians and guest speaker Derek Sachs to our lunch time meeting, which was held at the Gilvenbank Hotel, Glenrothes. 

On reception, this week was Peter May with Geoff Sampson saying grace.

Our speaker this week was Derek Sachs who retired in 2016 from the Police and on retiral was wanting to give something back to the community. He joined Blood Bikes Scotland and his story was on their history and his involvement.

The first blood bike volunteer group to be established was the Emergency Volunteer Service (EVS), formed in 1962 in Surrey, England, by Margaret Ryerson and her husband. In 1969 the Freewheelers youth community action group formed in Stevenage which initially served hospitals in Stevenage, Luton, Dunstable, Bedford and Hitchin. These original groups are no longer operating, but other groups emerged that provide similar services.

Cecil Turner founded Yeovil Freewheelers in 1978. In 1981, SERV (which formed shortly after the original EVS disbanded) and the North East Thames Region Emergency Voluntary Service (also known as the EVS) in North East London was founded. North East Thames Region EVS disbanded in November 1998 but SERV continues to operate as a number of different groups. Blood Bikes Scotland founding members started off by wanting to put something back and contacted NABB (Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes) to try to volunteer, the reply was that if they wanted to volunteer in Scotland then they would have to start their own group as none existed north of the border. In 2012, they applied for charitable status and the long road to working with the NHS started. The group eventually commenced working for NHS Borders in 2014 and based themselves around the Borders General Hospital in Melrose. They had one Honda 1100 Pan European motorcycle donated by a member at that time. Their second bike was a 1300ST Pan European (Katie) and she was to be based in Edinburgh, although they had not yet started working for NHS Lothian. Whilst still working in the Borders they kept trying to move forward with Lothian and the breakthrough came when the NHS Lothian Flow Centre was born, this was to be a transport hub for all of Lothian and their concept fitted right in with what they wanted to achieve. They had a committee change and an injection of new blood to the group, new ideas, new impetus and their first sizeable donation since their conception. In 2017, all the pieces fell into place and they started working for NHS Lothian, this has gone from strength to strength and has been so successful that they are now also working with NHS Fife and Forth Valley. Because of the success of the group, they have had to regularly add to their fleet of motorcycles and now have eight operational bikes. Currently two BMW R1200RT’s in the Borders. One BMW R1200RT, one BMW C Evolution electric bike and two Yamaha FJR 1300’s based in Edinburgh, one Yamaha FJR 1300 based in Fife and, one Yamaha FJR 1300 based in Forth Valley. Although Katie is no longer used as an operational bike she is still with the group and regularly appears at fundraisers.

The Rotary Vote of Thanks was given by Wilna Roger

Forthcoming events

Friday April 3rd Sportsman’s Dinner – Gilvenbank Hotel 7 for 7:30pm £30 per person– our main fundraiser of the year our speakers being Ex referee Stuart Dougal, Comedian Connor Burns and Compere Willie Allan MBE.

Wednesday 10th June 2020 Kids Out day at the Deer Park by Cupar.

This coming week’s meeting on Thursday 12th March 2020 will be a lunch time meeting to be held at the Gilvenbank Hotel Glenrothes meeting at 12.45pm for a 12.55pm start. Our speakers this week will be incoming President Geoff Sampson with incoming senior vice president Brian Johnson discussing what members are looking for in the club and the future direction of the club.

If you are interested in supporting the community and international projects get in touch by Private message on The Rotary Club of Glenrothes Facebook page. You will be made most welcome