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Blood bike volunteers offer Highland hand of friendship in world record attempt

Thomas Carroll and Mark Robinson from Highland and Islands Blood Bikes (HAIBB) set off from Raigmore Hospital on Thursday morning on a mammoth 1,700-mile journey. Picture by Brian Smith.
Thomas Carroll and Mark Robinson from Highland and Islands Blood Bikes (HAIBB) set off from Raigmore Hospital on Thursday morning on a mammoth 1,700-mile journey. Picture by Brian Smith.

Two Highlands and Islands Blood Bike volunteers have pledged to go the extra mile to set a new Guinness World Record.

The charity (HAIBB) is aiming to complete the UK’s longest blood bike relay, travelling more than 1,700 miles over the next three days.

Two volunteer riders Thomas Carroll and Mark Robinson, are travelling the length and breadth of Britain to meet representatives from across the UK and Northern and Southern Ireland in commemoration of their efforts during the coronavirus pandemic.

The relay will coincide with the signing of a charter known as Highland Hand of Friendship, in recognition of the work undertaken by charity volunteers over the last two years.

Members of each group will sign the declaration before its lodged, in the hopes of being recognised as a world record.

The pair are also hoping to raise around £5,000 in funds for the charity, with £860 already donated to their cause.

The duo are expected to meet around 18 groups in the coming days gathering signatures for their charter titled Highland Hand of Friendship. Picture by Brian Smith.

Chairman Mark McGinty, said: “The guys’ effort this weekend is absolutely tremendous. They are well equipped for it and definitely well enabled for the challenge, so fair play to them.

“They have been excited for about six months. They are delighted they can do this and we are delighted that they are stepping forward to do that extra little bit that’s out with our normal work.

“Its going to raise awareness for blood bikes across the UK. Its not just Highlands and islands, they’re meeting something like 18 different blood bike groups. Some of them are bringing in seven or eight riders to come along and say hello.”

Raising awareness of blood bikes

The pair set off from Raigmore Hospital in Inverness around 4am on Thursday morning.

They will travel south, meeting volunteers at various hospitals near to motorways or trunk roads, before ending the day with a final meeting at Bedfordshire.

The duo are expected to meet around 18 groups on their journey.

Day two of the trip will see the men tour the south of England meeting up with other groups as far as Exeter, Devon, Cornwall and Bristol.

Posted by Highland And Islands Blood Bikes on Thursday, 2 June 2022

The HAIBB riders also hope to meet riders from Ireland before returning home to the Highlands on Saturday evening.

Lending a helping hand to the NHS

HAIBB was launched two years year ago to offer assistance to the NHS.

The main business of the charity is to help transfer medical supplies, blood samples and Covid samples.

Mr McGinty says in their first two years in operation, more than 50% of their work has been Covid related

He added: “We started off with the intentions of being a during-the-week evening service and at weekends when the NHS didn’t have a driver to transport things for them. As soon as Covid kicked in, the NHS came to us and said ‘Is there anyway you can do 6am in the morning until 8pm at night, seven days a week?’

“Although the hours have came down a little bit now, we went to full-time, 14 hours a day, seven days a week from the beginning of Covid for the last two years. Its been really busy. Over 50% of our runs have been Covid related.”

“We have been all over Highland but we have also been to Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, just wherever things needed to be done.”