Big-hearted North West Bikers to Impress Nation

Leather-clad heroes ride to the rescue.

A group of bikers who spend their nights saving lives will star on national television this weekend.

150 volunteers from the North West Blood Bikes Lancs & Lakes Service are the latest 'National Lottery Heroes' - inspirational people using National Lottery funding to improve the lives of others. Their story will be shown on The National Lottery Saturday Night Draws at 9.10pm on BBC One on Saturday 15 June.

The bikers give up their nights to transport urgently needed blood, drugs and human tissues between hospitals across the north west, from Chester up to the Lake District. They include 58 year-old Graham Jones, a retired paramedic from Bolton.

The North West Blood Bikes Lancs & Lakes Service is one of 400,000 good causes across the UK funded by the £30 billion that National Lottery players have raised since the Lottery started in 1994.

Jackie O'Sullivan, Director of The National Lottery Good Causes, says the bikers are inspirational:

"These volunteers combine their passion for biking with a strong desire to help others. They are able to move quicker through the traffic than taxis, which would have to be used if the bikers didn't ride to the rescue. The bikers receive no health service funding so money raised by National Lottery players bought them a new bike for their night time missions."

Paul Brooks, Chairman of the North West Blood Bikes Service, said:
"We realised that we could use our hobby to the best possible use: saving lives and ensuring more money goes on patient care. National Lottery players should be proud that they are funding good causes like ours. It is great for everyone involved in our work to get this national recognition. I hope it will help raise even more money to keep the service going strong."