This crucial work frequently goes unnoticed, and even the patients who receive the benefit of the super-speedy, traffic-dodging deliveries would in all probability never know the part that this network has played in their recovery.

Aside from working with groups across the UK, such as the Severn Freewheelers, we were particularly pleased to hear that a local scheme was starting in Norfolk, and were more than happy to offer help with funding for their West Norfolk bike.

SERV (Service by Emergency Rider Volunteers) Norfolk are here to help the medics at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Lynn get their vital supplies of blood and plasma without having to rely on expensive private couriers or taxis. They have a team of 81 volunteer riders, who sign up for shifts. The service currently operates two powerful motorcycles, a BMW 1200 RT and a Honda ST1300 Pan-European, and provides cover from 7pm to 6am.

We know the value that this provides, and bikers appreciate more than most the medical professionals that they know they may one day rely on, so I was pleased to see that Honda had made a little film celebrating the Blood Bikers across the UK.

An excellent cause, so well worth finding your local organisation and offering of your time or money if you can.

http://www.bloodbikes.org.uk/

This presents motorbikers with the best of both worlds- combining the passion for two-wheeled travel with fundraising. Here Bikesure talks about some impressive fundraisers and ways to get involved with motorbike charity fundraising.

Every year in December there are charity toy runs held throughout the country. These originated in Stoke-On-Trent in 1978 and the basic premise is to collect toys which are then taken to local charities, on motorbikes, and distributed to children who otherwise wouldn’t get presents. This is often followed by a celebratory evening which serves to raise more money.

Another way of fund raising is through sponsored rides, such as the Red Arrows who, in October 2010, rode 1000 miles from Lands End to John o Groats in just 4 days. Appropriately, the pilots rode on red Vespas.

The staff here at Bikesure also got riding for charity, with 4 staff members taking part in Monkey Business 2010. It involved travelling over 300 miles around Yorkshire on 125cc monkey bikes.

As well as this in February 2010 actor Danny-John Jules, most famous for playing the cat in cult classic Red Dwarf, rode a gruelling 7000 miles across Europe in aid of Sport Relief. This was taken up as a challenge from the Iron Butts Association -
Danny, with endurance rider Graham Hoskins, rode through 3 continents and 17 countries in just 16 days.

If you feel like experiencing you own motorbike adventure whilst also raising money for a great cause then take a look at Classic Tours, who provide a step by step guide to achieving your goal. They offer many different pre-organised challenges such as an 11-day Himalayan motorbike adventure or will work with you to help make your own fundraising idea a success.

There is also a motorbike challenge with Enduro Africa which raises money for South Africa and Lesotho. It offers you the chance to travel to South Africa and experience the extreme off-road terrain and breathtaking views. While there you are invited to get involved with the Touch Africa community-based program to make a real difference to the community.

On the 2^nd of May 2010, 12 representatives from Bikesure all ran 10km in the Great East Anglian run for local charity Tapping House Hospice.

The runners and riders for this event were, Kyle “Minty” Benefer (me), Jon “Turbo GT” Mellish, Lee “Booboo” Boughen, Pete “Zilla” Sanctuary, Jon “Ladies Man” Howlett, Peter “Blockhead” Millward, Philippa “Model” Rowing, Robert “Texas Ranger” Walker, Jason “Never ran in my life” Masters, Robert “Skinny Twin” Botting, Thomas “TJ” Warner, and Matthew “Long Legs” Sopp.

In not so perfect preparation for this event, myself and a few other members did absolutely no training whatsoever. In fact the night before the run a few of us and a couple of loyal supporters gathered round my gaff for Fifa, a few beers, and a Chinese. Here is some picture proof…

So as we all woke up on the Sunday morning, with a small hangover and a full belly, we all decided to meet in our local McDonalds for breakfast. Only joking, that would be ridiculous. We decided that we would all start the race in the same area, and keep together as a team. This lasted all of about 20 metres past the start line, where a few of us, not naming names, Blockhead, started walking and we got split up.

Speaking for myself I was very pleased with my initial effort. I got through the first 3km without stopping to walk. Bearing in mind I weigh nearly 16 stone I don’t think my knees could take much more of a pounding. At least that’s what I keep telling people. So as the hordes of serious runners came flying past me, my fellow lazy swine, Jon Howlett, tapped me on the shoulder just as I was about to start running again, and pleaded with me to wait for him. So begrudgingly I did, because I’m nice like that.

So after our easy stroll for 5 minutes, I looked back and saw a geriatric gentleman dressed up as a tomato. At which point I turned to Jon and said “I ain’t get beaten by no tomato, fool”. We quickly started off on another run, and 30 seconds later we hit the wall again, only to find the old boy tomato go straight past us without a bead of sweat on his face, and a cheeky little wave as if to say, see you at the finish line boys.

Not even half way, Jon says to me “My feet hurt. I think these trainers are giving me blisters”. I look down to see parts of his shoes hanging off. Probably not the best footwear if you’re running 10km. So I ask him “Did you find them in a skip on the way up here?” Only to find out that he borrowed the shoes from his Step-Dad, who only uses them for his gardening. Seeing as Jon is such a “Ladies Man” and far too “Trendy” (these are his words by the way) he doesn’t own a pair of running shoes, and therefore had to improvise. Maybe his fashionable plimsolls would have been a better choice.

As we’re doing our best to get round the course, we have our loyal supporters Bunts and Dyer standing around with their tins of Strongy, geeing us up at various different stages of course. This for me, had no positive input at all. I started to wonder, why am I putting myself through so much punishment, why am I not standing with Bunts and Dyer with a Strongy in my hand. Then I remember that Soppy is to blame for arranging this whole fiasco.

Revenge is a dish best served cold, and when I get some energy back, I will have my vengeance.

Anyway back to the race. Jon is now running around in just his socks. He hasn’t yet thrown his shoes in the bin where he found them, as he fears he may have a backlash from his Step-Dad for losing his favourite gardening shoes.

I’m going to miss out the middle section of the race as there was really nothing interesting happening. Unless you like to watch, unfit, lazy, fat people struggle a lot. The end of the race couldn’t come round soon enough, and I knew I had a big finish in me. We was in the final 150 metres and by this point I couldn’t be bothered to wait for Jon in his socks any more. Such a whiner.

Anyway, so I started picking up the pace and I was passing all the stragglers and some of the spectators started to cheer me on to the finish. I felt like a million dollars I was nearly there. Finally I had done it. Finished the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, and collapsed flat on my face. Probably shouldn’t have sprinted that last 100 metres. Doesn’t matter anyway, I don’t have to do that ever again.

I completed it, in my eyes, in a very respectable 1 hour and 8 minutes, with no previous training and a few beers the night before. I walked straight past Linford Christie and went to find my fellow Bikesurians to bask in our glory.

This is us after we finished…

And this is how we celebrate…

On a serious note. I think we all enjoyed doing the race, and we all felt a lot better about ourselves and it made us even closer as friends and a team. Most importantly we raised a lot of money (over £600 and counting) for a very worthy cause.