The Essex Voluntary Blood Service – or Essex Bloodrunners for short, is a charity providing medical courier services to the NHS and our local Air Ambulances.
From the NHS Blood Bank at Basildon, their unpaid volunteers deliver blood and blood products to A&E Hospitals in Essex and East London; deliver samples for analysis to a NHS Lab in North London, and via Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, supply blood to the Air Ambulances at Earls Colne and North Weald every night. Amongst many other tasks we also courier breast milk from donors to the Hearts Milk Bank and Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
They operate every weekday night, and day and night shifts at weekends and Bank Holidays. You can choose in advance the days and shifts you work. They are looking for reliable and responsible men and women from all backgrounds, employed or retired, with a motorcycle, car or van, a mobile phone and internet access. You will receive training, documentation, full support and a hi-viz uniform jacket.
You will work alone on a delivery run with a typical round-trip distance from home of between 60 and possibly over 120 miles, and be the face of Essex Bloodrunners to the public and NHS staff. The work is not glamorous; can be tiring; you may work unsocial hours in all weathers and you will add thousands of miles to your vehicle. However, rather like being a First Aider or Blood Donor, this is one of the very few ways that an ordinary member of the public can help save a life.
Most of you reading this piece will think “sounds good, but not for me”, which they quite understand, but just one of you may wish to enquire further.
If so, see their website at www.essexvoluntarybloodservice.com
