The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service
The Queens Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK. The award is equivalent to an MBE reflecting the nature of the groups successes, commitments, expertise.
The awards were created in 2002 to celebrate the Queens Golden Jubilee and winners are announced each year on the 2nd June – the anniversary of the Queens coronation.
In June 2018 Shropshire Staffordshire & Cheshire Blood Bikes was the proud recipient of The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service , which recognises the value of the work we do and the professionalism and dedication of our volunteers.
The QAVS certificate and crystal was presented to us by Sir Algernon Herber-Percy, The Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire.
It is a tremendous achievement for our charity to be acknowledged and we are immensely proud of the recognition that this award brings.
What people say about us
“The blood bikes are vital to getting our life saving faecal transplants to critically ill patients with C. dificile infection”
Professor Peter Hawkey, FMT Service Lead, PHE Public Health Laboratory Birmingham
“On a regular basis we need to transport samples urgently, between Shrewsbury and Telford, and also from here in Shropshire to Birmingham and beyond. In the past it has been quite difficult, out of hours, to get those samples moving quickly, so it has made a huge difference to us to be able to rely on blood bikes to get those samples moving for us.”
Debbie Jones, Support Services Care Group Director Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
“The voluntary service the blood bikes offer us has been instrumental in widening the scope of our FMT service across the country and ensuring costs are a low as possible for the NHS”
Dr Vicki McCune, FMT Service Manager PHE Public Health Laboratory Birmingham
“There is certainly times when the quicker we can get results back, the better the outcome for the patient, so blood bikes are helping to save lives and, at the same time, they are saving the NHS lots of money”
Debbie Jones, Support Services Care Group Director Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
“We are so grateful to the volunteer riders who give up their time to courier blood products and urgent samples for testing between our hospitals and the regional NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) centre in Birmingham. Every minute counts when it comes to helping seriously-ill and injured patients and being able to call on the blood bikes round the clock helps us to provide safe, effective treatment and transfusions.”
Paula Gardener, Chief Nurse Burton Hospital Trust (covering Burton, Lichfield and Tamworth)
“We very much appreciate all of their efforts and the support they give both SaTH and the wider NHS.”
Debbie Jones, Support Services Care Group Director Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
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