Wonderful service from start to finish.
Warner Goodman walk for SERV Wessex
On Sunday 29th April, a team from Hampshire law firm, Warner Goodman LLP, will complete a 22 mile walk to raise funds and awareness for blood bike charity, SERV Wessex. Dan Thompson, Personal Injury Partner, explains here why the team are taking up the challenge, and how it forms part of their wider fundraising campaign.
Who are SERV Wessex?
SERV (Service by Emergency Rider Volunteers) Wessex is a registered charity made up of over 100 volunteers of riders, drivers and duty controllers providing a life saving service free of charge to the NHS. The volunteers work 365 days a year, between 19.00 and 06.00 weekdays and 24 hours a day at weekends and on public holidays. “As well as transporting blood between hospitals, we also transport platelets, plasma, samples, medical equipment and frozen donated human milk to neo-natal departments,” explains Robert Smith, volunteer rider and Events Coordinator for the charity.
“During the course of 2017, we covered 110,000 miles on our bikes, as well as celebrating our 7,000th ride in January this year since 2013. January was actually one of our busiest months as we completed 172 runs in that one month. We take great pride in the service we provide, not only to the local hospitals but also in resupplying the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance with their onboard blood and plasma. We’re extremely grateful to Warner Goodman for their continued support and fundraising.”
The journey so far
The team at Warner Goodman have already donated £1,000 to SERV Wessex, and hope to raise a further £1,500 from their walk. “The combined figure should keep one of the motorbikes on the road for a year, covering the cost of tax, insurance, servicing and any other repairs,” explains Dan. “When the charity first came to our attention we were amazed at the wonderful work they complete as volunteers, with up to 70% of them covering the cost themselves and using their own vehicles. In our roles at Warner Goodman, we unfortunately see the consequences of accidents on our roads and in our homes, and know the vital role the charity provides by supplying the life saving equipment and items our hospitals need to help us recover and recuperate.”
The walk on Sunday 29th April will begin in Winchester town centre before the team head out towards the South Downs making their way to Beacon Hill. Once they reach this point, they will then return to Winchester town centre, covering a total of 22 miles. “We wanted a local route to capture one of the areas that SERV Wessex covers within their remit, and the South Downs is naturally one of our regions most well known beauty spots,” concludes Dan. “All of the team are excited, and slightly apprehensive at the challenge in front of us, but it is nothing compared to the work these volunteers undertake on a regular basis, and we look forward to raising as much money and awareness as possible for the charity.”
To donate to the Warner Goodman team for the walk, visit their My Donate page here or to find out more about SERV Wessex you can visit their website or Facebook page. You can discover more about Warner Goodman’s work with charities on the news section of the website here.
ENDS
This is for information purposes only and is no substitute for, and should not be interpreted as, legal advice. All content was correct at the time of publishing and we cannot be held responsible for any changes that may invalidate this article.