2020 Winner
Paul Redfern
Biker leads a group of lifesaving volunteers on two wheels who deliver vital blood supplies where they are most urgently needed.
Paul, 50, is the founder of Blood Bikes Manchester, a volunteer-led organisation that helps save thousands of lives across the North West by transporting blood, plasma, platelets, vaccines and breast milk to nearly every hospital and hospice in the region.
They operate mostly at night, at weekends and through the holidays.
“Our volunteers are our unsung heroes, or as we call them, our special Knightriders,” says Paul, who started the charity in 2012. “This service is provided completely free of charge by our volunteers who all offer their time for no pay or reward, allowing the NHS to divert funds where they are needed most.”
Since lockdown their work has doubled as they branched out to help out with the Covid-19 crisis. “Our service has been operating 24hrs, 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. Many of our 70 volunteers were furloughed from work so were more willing and able to help than ever.”
Paul knows only too well how an urgent delivery of blood 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.
Determined to carry on his life, he switched to riding a trike. As the years went on he joined a local motorcycling club and began raising funds for local charities. Then one day he saw a blood donor appeal on television. “It was a lightbulb moment,” he says. “I had been thinking of ways to make a difference to the community and so I got together with a friend called Steve Ryder and together we launched Blood Bikes Manchester. It is amazing to think that this little box we deliver can be the difference between life and death.”
We sent actor Chris Bisson and Happy Mondays star Bez to surprise him with his award. “Bez rode up on his bike with my award and even before he took his helmet off I knew it was him, he has such a distinctive voice. I was absolutely delighted.”