A CHARITY delivering blood, urgent samples and medication across south Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset marked a significant milestone.

SERV Wessex – The Blood Runners completed its 3000th run in a year over the festive period.

Boxing Day saw volunteers respond to a total of eight calls from hospitals in Salisbury, Basingstoke, Chandlers Ford and the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth - carrying six samples, five boxes of platelets and eight boxes of blood.

SERV Wessex Trustee Tim Bennett said: "Completing over 3000 requests in a year shows that we are truly recognised by all our NHS Hospitals as a reliable, professional organisation that can deliver anything at any time.”

In 2021, more than 4,000 separate items were carried and more than 185,000 miles were covered, supporting local hospitals and patients during the Covid-19 pandemic.

SERV Wessex is staffed entirely by more than 120 volunteers using a mixture of the charity’s vehicles and volunteer’s own vehicles. Seventy per cent of its volunteers use their own vehicles.

The charity has been given a welcome boost to bolster its fleet. Former chairman of the Luckett’s Travel Group, David Luckett MBE, donated a new BMW motorcycle to SERV Wessx.

The bike has been in service for a few months but due to restrictions the official handover has only just happened.

David said: “I have always been a supporter of local charities in both my professional and personal life.

"My son Steve has been a volunteer biker for SERV Wessex for the past four years, so this seemed like a perfect opportunity to show my support for the service that SERV Wessex provide and donate this new motorcycle.”

SERV Wessex Trustee Tim added: “David’s generous donation has enabled us to update our bike fleet for which we are very grateful.”

In recognition for all the hard work and dedication by all the volunteers they were awarded the Queens Award for Voluntary Service in June 2021, which is the MBE for charities.

To find out more visit: servwessex.org.uk

Get more Salisbury news. 

You can also like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date, as well as signing up for one of our newsletters.

If you want online news with fewer ads, unlimited access and reader rewards - plus a chance to support our local journalism - find out more about registering or a digital subscription.

Email newsdesk@salisburyjournal.co.uk with your comments, pictures, letters and news stories.