Kent's volunteer 'Bloodrunners' team have received royal recognition for their vital work delivering blood and other vital medical equipment and supplies.

Officially known as Service By Emergency Response Volunteers (SERV), the team based at the Medway Services on the M2 near Chatham were given the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service for their ongoing work, with "special designation for additional impactful support during the early months of the COVID pandemic."

SERV Kent's events and fundraising coordinator Trevor Sayer said receiving the award was a huge boost.

"The award is very important, as it's public recognition," he said. "We're able to put the crown logo on our vehicles and stationery so it's a big boost for our members. It's a bit of outward proof of the commitment our members provide to the local community.

"It's supposed to be the equivalent of an MBE so it's very nice.

"The pandemic put more pressure on us but our members have stepped up and done very well."

While SERV Kent normally deliver blood products to hospitals overnight and on the weekend, the situation meant they had to launch a 24 hour service, and the team have responded to 8,300 calls since the start of the pandemic, compared with usual annual average of 3,750-3.850.

In contrast to the NHS' Blood and Transplant service, the SERV team is funded through donations and fundraising events, and staffed entirely by volunteers who work in other jobs and pay for their own fuel.

Alongside delivering blood to Kent hospitals and the air ambulance service, they also transport other samples, equipment and medicines.

They even transport donated breast milk, which has to be taken to Hertfordshire for processing before being picked up again - often exchanged at motorway service stations with the Herts and Beds SERV team, and then delivered to premature baby units in Kent.

Mr Sayer explained the blood bikes has their origins in the 1960s, when a couple ran the volunteer emergency service, before SERV itself was established in the 1981 by two bikers.

"One of them had gone to hospital and needed blood," he explained. "The hospital said they've got to get some blood down, and his friend said he would go and get some."

From those humble origins the team now handles thousands of calls a year, dealt with by 180 members including around 20 controllers who coordinate operations from their own homes.

As well as the members' own vehicles they also have six cars and motorbikes.

To find out more about SERV Kent visit www.servkent.co.uk.

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