Scott Parnell has sponsored a volunteer who delivers urgent blood supplies to hospitals in Essex by motorbike.
Nick Franklin delivers the blood stocks to hospitals for charity Essex Blood Runners, volunteering for at least two 12-hour night shifts every month.
Franklin (pictured) uses his own motorbike and was paying the £1,000 annual running costs himself, but drainage and civil engineering supply specialist Scott Parnell, also based in Essex, has now offered to cover them after Franklin told them about his work.
Steve Parnell, Director at Scott Parnell in Whitham, said: “When Nick told me about what he was doing for Essex Blood Runners, I didn’t hesitate to offer our assistance. We are delighted to be sponsoring him so he can continue to be part of this very important and much needed service. We hope it encourages other companies to donate and support a volunteer.”
Essex Blood Runners is a free service, delivering blood, platelets, plasma and red cells to hospital departments across Essex as well as samples and urgent neonatal milk for infants to the Herts Milk Bank.
The charity currently has 60 volunteers on call from 7pm to 7am seven nights a week, and 24 hours a day during weekends and bank holidays, 365 days a year. The charity estimates that it saves the NHS in Essex £100,000 per annum.
Franklin said: “I decided to start volunteering with Essex Blood Runners a few years ago simply because I wanted to do something that would make a difference to my local community.
“The charity is completely run by volunteers and receives no funding, so it’s only through the generosity of the volunteers themselves along with donations from companies like Scott Parnell that it can continue to operate. The volunteers are integral to the service so we are always in need of others who are willing to come forward to keep this much needed service going.”
