Henley Probus

THE 472nd meeting of Henley Probus was held at Badgemore Park on April 12.

Reports were provided by the chairman, the treasurer and the friendship secretary.

After the formal business, the chairman introduced Kamran Irani, who is chairman of the Blood Bikes for Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire, or
SERV-OBN.

This voluntary service provides an out-of-hours urgent delivery service between NHS hospitals at night, weekends and on bank holidays using a fleet of 135 motorbikes and two four-wheeled drive vehicles.

The service originated in London in 1962 and SERV-OBN is now one of 36 services in the UK which form the National Association of Blood Bikes.

The association provides a medical transport service to the NHS free of charge. All services are funded by public donations and are staffed by unpaid volunteers.

SERV-OBN has 26 hospitals in its area and during 2021 received 3,500 calls. Its corporate sponsors are BP and the AA.

In addition to the distribution of blood, SERV-OBN is also heavily involved in the collection and delivery of human donor milk to/from the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, which is one of 18 milk processing centres in the UK.

Kamran was an excellent speaker and the talk was very well received by the members.

Henley Probus meets at Badgemore Park on the second Tuesday of each month. Meetings start with an informal gathering of members plus visitors for a discussion and coffee with the formal meeting commencing at 11.30am followed by a lunch.

If anyone is interested in joining the club, please call our membership secretary Roger Griffiths on (01491) 575137 or email
regriffiths@waitrose.com

Roger Roberts