A FORMER Post motorcycle messenger who hopes to raise money for a group delivering vital supplies to hospitals has been presented with a new motorbike for the charity before he has even set off.
As previously reported in the Post, Mike Burns, 52, plans to cycle to 14 breast milk banks across England in 14 days, including stops at Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Cambridge and Oxford.
He is raising money so that the Freewheelers Emergency Volunteer Service (EVS) – a group that uses motorcycles to deliver blood and other vital supplies to hospitals – can buy some new motorbikes.
Mr Burns, who now works as an online graphic designer, joined the group after seeing the care Southmead Hospital provided for a terminally ill family member three years ago.
As a result of our article, management at car dealership Dick Lovett BMW Motorrad in Laurel Court, Cribbs Causeway, contacted Mr Burns to say they wanted to donate a motorbike.
The BMW R1200 bike – the same sort that police use – has now been presented to Mr Burns.
But as well as donating the bike, 14 members of staff have also been given paid leave to join Mr Burns on his ride to help with fundraising.
Mr Burns, who lives in Church Road, Norton Malreward, is no stranger to tackling long bike rides for the worthy cause.
In 2010 he cycled from John O'Groats to Land's End and raised enough to buy the group its first ever emergency motorcycle.
And last year he put together another three-week, 1,250-mile ride which linked all the NHS blood centres nationwide and resulted in the charity acquiring another four motorcycles.
This year, with the opening of the new milk bank at Southmead, Mr Burns' challenge is to visit all of the country's milk banks.
The breast milk bank helps premature babies whose mothers have difficulty feeding them. The facility gives babies, who might otherwise be vulnerable to stomach problems, access to a supply of breast milk, even if their own mums are struggling to produce enough.
Mr Burns' bike ride starts in Leeds on Tuesday , and finishes on May 14 at Southmead Hospital.
Mr Burns said: "Freewheelers has recently formed a new Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) support division and this year the intention is to raise money to buy motorcycles to deliver the donor breast milk and a car to transport mums to visit their newborn babies in care at NICU.
"I was amazed when Dick Lovett car dealership got in touch with me – they have been so generous and I'd like to say a big thank you."
To sponsor Mr Burns visit www.bloodbikes.co.uk.
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