Community heroes

The TSB Community Hero award celebrates someone who goes to remarkable lengths to help others live their best life. If that sounds like someone you know, you can nominate them now at prideofbritain.com/manchester Here two previous winners of the TSB award at Pride of Manchester, reveal how they have carried on helping others after being honoured.

PAUL REDFERN

Paul Redfern’s knights of the road were already saving lives before the pandemic, but the past year has seen their workload double.

Paul is the founder of Blood Bikes Manchester, a team of volunteers on two wheels who transport blood and vital supplies to hospitals and hospices across the North West by motorbike.

Riders operate mostly at night, at weekends and through the holidays, providing their services free of charge.

And when the pandemic began last year, they did not hesitate to step up to help.

Paul says: “It’s been one hell of a year and we pitched in from the start. Our service has been operating 24 hours, seven days a week since March to assist the NHS and hospices with the collection and delivery of Covid-19 samples, test kits, and PPE.

“We’ve also been taking medication to patients at the Manchester Nightingale Hospital. Many of our 70 volunteers are doing day jobs only to come and work with us at night. It has been tough on them and we are looking forward to things getting back to normal.”

Since Paul was honoured at Pride of Manchester last year, TSB has supported the charity with eight months worth of petrol, bike services, a full set of new jackets, a van canopy and new merchandise for fundraising.

“Since last March, all fundraising activities have had to be cancelled, and it got to the point where we were starting to panic as we were close to running on empty,” Paul explains. “The funding from TSB has really helped and we are so grateful. However, to carry on going we do hope people will carry on supporting us with donations.”

Paul knows only too well how an urgent delivery of blood or vital supplies can mean the difference between life and death. When he was 18 he was involved in a serious motorbike accident and lost his right leg. His life was saved by an emergency blood transfusion. Last year, Blood Bikes Manchester estimated they saved local NHS and hospice services over £340,000 with their voluntary service.

Details of how to donate can be found on the charity’s website: bbmcr.org.