As many of our regular readers will know, mono motorcycles have been supporting SERV Blood Runners since November 2017.

We chose to support the Blood Runners, as, just like us they are all bikers. The difference between a regular biker & Blood Runner is that these bikers provide essential & vital out of hours delivery runs for local hospitals, support the NHS & Doctors.

These selfless volunteers transport blood/platelets/plasma, human milk, x-rays, patient notes & any other medical items or small equipment all over Hampshire, South Wiltshire, Dorset & beyond; selflessly & tirelessly giving up their own time to do so.

During the Covid19 Pandemic, the Blood Runners have continued to support our incredible NHS through the most challenging times.

Alongside the riders out on the roads, is a team of people behind the scenes & controllers making sure that the rota is updated & that every call out & every NHS need is covered appropriately, efficiently & quickly.

SERV Blood Runners collaborate with the HIOWAA (Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance Service) & every 48 hours SERV replenish the Helicopter & Critical care teams’ blood & plasma supplies which they carry, ensuring that at any given moment, the HIOWWA team are ready for action & ready to save lives.

SERV do all of this free of charge. As sadly a lot of us know, it is often an Air Ambulance which is called in the case of motorcycle incidents. Supporting SERV who in turn support HIOWAA is a simple case of logic; one day they may be helping one of us in our time of need.

Although the Blood Runners do transport blood/platelets & plasma between hospitals, literally saving lives in the process; one other key area is the transportation of human milk to Neonatal wards.

The transportation of human milk is sometimes a lifesaving mission. Premature babies are often in desperate need of the life-giving vital nutrients & hormones which human milk provides. If a Mother has difficulty breast feeding & or is unwell during the birth process; human milk from other sources can often times literally be a lifesaving opportunity for the premature baby.

This service has again been vital during the pandemic, as Mothers who have been taken ill with Covid & or needed ICU treatment; have not always been able to care for their new-borns.

Sometimes the SERV members will be involved with relay missions for essential medical supplies, blood, human milk etc & have been known to be part of relay teams travelling hundreds of miles cumulatively, to ensure life saving medical support is delivered where it is needed.

Rain or shine, in freezing or scorching temperatures & even throughout the entire festive season of Christmas; SERV Blood Runners are on call, ready for action, ready to save lives, supporting our NHS.

In November 2018 we ran our first Christmas Charity Quiz in aid of SERV Wessex. The evening was full of laughter, great quiz team banter, plenty of festive cheer & over £1000 raised through ticket sales & the amazing raffle.

This year with Covid restrictions having been eased enough, we are able to host another Charity Christmas Quiz in aid of SERV & this year we will be welcoming a very special guest!

Our very special guest is James Hillier – RICH Energy OMG Racing. Hillier is an Isle of Man TT Winner, North West 200 Winner, BSB & Supersport Racer & is on track to take part in Paris Dakar 2022 .

We have both been following James’ career for many years, being ardent motorsport fans including the Isle of Man TT, North West 200, BSB, Superbikes, Supersport & many many more!

Watching Hillier in some cases literally fly around the Isle of Man TT track, is heart pounding edge of the seat action.

Here’s just a snapshot of Hillier’s achievements:

• Winner of the 2015 Lightweight TT
• Finished on the podium in the Lightweight TT race for five consecutive years, 2012-16, taking one win and four second place finishes
• Former Lightweight TT lap record holder
• Took two podiums at TT2019 with second and third in the two Supersport races
• Has now achieved 14 rostrum finishes at the TT
• Has now finished 56 of the 60 TT races he’s started, winning 52 silver and four bronze replicas
• Winner of the 2008 Newcomers Trophy
• Seventh fastest rider in TT history at 132.414mph
• Winner of the 2019 North West 200 Superstock race and awarded the Man of the Meeting accolade
• Nine times podium finisher at the North West 200
• Podium finisher at the Classic TT
• Top ten finisher at the Macau Grand Prix
• Former top ten finisher in the British Superstock 1000 Championship

Hillier is now part of the RICH Energy OMG Racing team & he now has his sights set on sampling the world famous, gruelling Dakar Rally.

Hillier is not the first TT competitor to compete at the Dakar, but he is still set to create history in 2022 by being the first TT winner to take part in the endurance race that was first staged in 1979.

We cannot thank James enough for agreeing to be our guest & for supporting our charity event.

Tickets for our 2021 Charity Christmas Quiz can be purchased over the telephone T: 01243 576212 / 07899 654446 or by visiting the mono motorcycles workshop at New Barn Offices, Funtington, Chichester, PO18 9DA.