A BLOOD courier charity which supplies hospitals and air ambulance teams is appealing for people to volunteer.

The Essex Voluntary Blood Service, which is known as Essex Bloodrunners for short is a charity which delivers blood to the NHS.

One of 30 like-minded groups in the UK, Essex Bloodrunners also provide their services to the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance based in Earls Colne.

The unpaid volunteers deliver blood and blood products to A&E Hospitals in Essex, deliver samples for analysis to NHS Labs and supply blood to the air ambulances every night.

Amongst many other tasks, the group also courier breast milk from donors to the Hearts Milk Bank and Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

The volunteer team operate every weekday night, and day and night shifts at weekends and Bank Holidays.

Their support to Hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic has also introduced a weekday daytime shift.

But now the group say they need more members.

They say volunteers can choose in advance the days and shifts they work.

The charity 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.

Those willing to take part will receive training, documentation, full support and a hi-viz uniform jacket.

They added volunteers 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.

A spokesman for the group said: “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.

“You are unpaid and cover all your own expenses… so not much going for it really!

“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 we quite understand, but just one of you may wish to enquire further.”

For more infromation, visit EssexVoluntaryBloodService.com