SERV is a charity that provides an out of hours delivery service to hospitals in the counties of Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire . Without this service the NHS have to use taxis or couriers at huge expence. On a duty night the shift starts at 7pm and goes through the night until 7am the next morning, at weekends we do all day as well. If i volunteer for the weekend i get to use one of the charity vehicles which are BMW R1200RT. Honda Deauville 700 or an Astra Van. Mostly i tend to one off shifts and for that i use my own bike at my own expense.As we provide the service to the hospitals we have a reconised route to follow, this is so that if nessesary our controller would know approximatly where we are if anything happens. If we are delivering blood then the run usually starts at the blood bank in Southampton and then on to say the QA at portsmouth or the RHCH at Winchester . But we also carry Samples that go to a Lab in Filton Bristol so we collect from the hospital and take them to a RVP at Warminster we then hand over to another rider from another charity that covers the south west they will then take it on to Bristol. We also at times carry baby milk for premature babies. This is just a glimpse of what we do, if you would like to know more OR get involved then check out our website http://www.servwessex.org.uk
I guess this is what is meant by the big society.
SERV is a charity which was established in 1981, 30 years before Cameron's BS.
I can see the dilemma with your local pool. It's shocking.
QuoteSERV is a charity which was established in 1981, 30 years before Cameron's BS.It's the thin end of the wedge. First responders and now blood bikers.What next, volunteering to run your local library, or life guard at the local pool, school janitor, lollipop person and so on and so on. While NHS managers get paid big salaries and bonuses, blood bikers are out there risking their necks, saving lives and not getting paid.
Until of course I realised that their viewpoint was that charity and voluntary work should be completely unnecessary.
QuoteUntil of course I realised that their viewpoint was that charity and voluntary work should be completely unnecessary.I could agree with you on that.Mr Cameron is keen on charity, he sees charities tendering for and running and providing services, it's just another way downgrading pay terms and conditions.