The first ‘Mark Mason’ Blood Bike is due to retire after almost 7 years of sterling service to Northumbria Blood Bikes.
Unfortunately the bike now needs over £2,000 of work to its braking system making it uneconomical to continue in service.
The bike has completed in excess of 86,000 miles and been on many thousands of missions travelling the length and breadth of Durham and Northumberland carrying essential medical supplies and equipment. The charity has over 100 volunteer riders, all of whom will have ridden the bike at some point during its career.
The MBF granted £18,000 in 2016 for the bike which as you know led on to the wider Blood Bikes Project and the MBF Charity Walk of 2017. Grants to the Blood Bike charities from the MBF currently stand at £497,146.
Retiring bikes with Northumbria Blood Bikes are not sold externally but are offered to their own members for personal use. All BB liveries are remove from the bike. Sealed bids from members wishing to take on the bike as a personal project are invited and funds are reinvested back into the charity.
The charity remains ever grateful of the support the MBF has given and continues to champion our cause.
Happy Retirement ‘Mark Mason’ No.1.
If you have a story, event or news item you would like to have published on the Provincial website, or social media, please get in touch with our Communications Team at news@northumberlandmasons.org.uk