A charity that offers a complimentary out-of-hours transport service for essential medical supplies to hospitals and hospices in Devon has received a £1,000 donation from one of the county's largest housebuilders.
Persimmon Homes Supports South West Blood Bikes
Persimmon Homes has provided financial support to South West Blood Bikes through its Community Champions initiative, which allocates £700,000 annually to worthy causes and highly valued organisations across Britain. South West Blood Bikes is a volunteer-run charity that provides its services free of charge. The organisation operates a local service within Devon using its own fleet and volunteers, as well as an out-of-county service that collaborates in relay with other Blood Bike groups.
Charity Aims and Impact
The charity's objectives are to save lives and enhance patient outcomes while simultaneously saving the NHS and hospices money, which can then be redirected to patient care. Since its formation in 2018, volunteers have been dispatched more than 18,832 times and have transported over 118,978 individual items, saving the NHS more than £1,060,144 in transportation costs.
Other Community Champions Recipients
Recent Community Champions winners include Hospiscare Exeter, Friends of Willowbank Primary School, Wellbeing in Action, Teignbridge Canoe Club, Teignmouth Thunderbirds Netball Club, Buckland Athletic FC, and The Lodge Indoor Skate Park.
The accredited five-star developer's South West business has homes for sale at sites in Cranbrook, Cullompton, Dawlish, Exeter, Newton Abbot, Paignton, Taunton, and Yeovil.
Comments from Persimmon Homes
Stacey Harris, Sales Director for Persimmon Homes South West, commented: “South West Blood Bikes does really important work across Devon, helping patients and medical professionals across the county – and beyond – so they definitely fit the mould of a Persimmon Community Champion. Given that Persimmon is building across Devon and that everyone will be affected by a medical emergency during their lives, it felt that lending a helping hand to the Blood Bikes was a good way for us to sustain much-valued services in the region.”
Response from South West Blood Bikes
East Team Leader Rob Springthorpe added: “We’re very grateful to Persimmon for this generous contribution. As a volunteer-led charity, we rely entirely on donations to keep our bikes on the road and ensure vital medical supplies reach the people who need them most. Support like this helps us continue providing a free, round-the-clock service across Devon and beyond, and it means a great deal to our volunteers and the patients we ultimately serve.”
