The Highland and Islands Blood Bikes have been carrying crucial medicines, samples and supplies across Scotland since March 2020.
This can be anything and everything from cancer medication, to urine samples, urgent blood tests and even equipment.
Around the same time Highland and Islands Blood Bikes (HAIBB) launched, Covid forced the UK into lockdown.
The charity played a pivotal role and the riders were all kept busy taking Covid tests and samples to and from the Highlands, saving time and money for the NHS.
But all of this wouldn’t be possible without the help of controllers like Sandra Copland, who work away behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly.
Sandra, who lives in Inverness, goes between the NHS and volunteer riders to organise the pick-up and delivery of anything and everything, while keeping a mindful eye on all the jobs for the day.
And she’s no stranger to volunteering either.
Being a biker herself, Sandra joined the Jacobite MCC Nairn in 1992 and has spent years helping them with Christmas motorcycle runs, delivering festive hampers to the elderly and even organising easter egg runs.
It was through the MCC that she first heard about Highlands and Islands Blood Bikes (HAIBB) in 2019.
Despite heading to the charity’s first meeting with other club members, she was the only one to step forward.
And for more than four years, Sandra, who works full-time with Highland Council’s housing department, has dedicated almost every Sunday to volunteering for the charity.
Volunteering has become ‘second-nature’ to biker and music fan
As well as working full-time and joining bike runs with the MCC when she can, Sandra also helped at the Ironworks before it shut down in February 2023.
The music-lover still works at Belladrum and The Gathering every year too.
But all these commitments often leave Sandra with very little time for herself.
“It’s not a hardship at all,” she simply said.
“When I first went to the meeting I thought ‘Oh Lord, how am I going to manage to do it all?’
“But, it’s all become second nature to me now though.”
Medical equipment, samples and even breast milk gets delivered by bikers
The charity is based in Inverness, with smaller bases in Oban, Fort William and Wick.
Riders cover hundreds of miles a week, and Sandra says she can be called and asked to help organise transport for anything — from medicine, samples, equipment and now even breast milk for newborns.
The milk is collected from a donor and taken to Glasgow for treatment before being brought back to the Highlands. They will either deliver it to the house or the neonatal unit in the hospital.
“We deliver to microbiology, we deliver medication to people’s houses,” she explained. “If we can fit it on the bike or in the car, we will. And it saves the NHS a lot of money.”
And while Sandra is a biker herself, she says she’s “only a little person” and the bikes they use are all too big for her. But, she does go in the cars to help with deliveries when she can.
Sandra has no plans to slow down, and encourages others to join Blood Bikes
Apparently, people keep asking Sandra, who turns 60 in January, if she has any plans to retire anytime soon.
To which she replies: “No, no! There will be no retiring.”
Clearly a person who likes to keep busy, when Sandra isn’t working, at music gigs, out on bike rides or even volunteering, she’s helping with fundraising events for the charity.
HAIBB relies solely on donations and grants, with all money raised going straight back into the service.
And the charity also relies on volunteers. Sandra is just one of the many unsung heroes who help to keep it running — but she says there’s always room for more people to join.
“You don’t get to flash any blue lights,” she laughed, “but we enjoy ourselves.
“And if you like riding bikes or going for wee jaunts in the car then definitely come along.
“Or if you think you’re just sat at home doing nothing, then you can sit there and be a controller from the comfort of your own home.
“We’re always on the lookout for more people to join us.”
If you are interested in finding out more about the Highland and Islands Blood Bikes, or even joining as a volunteer, you can find out more here.
Conversation