Provincial Grand Chapter – 16/11/2019
The MEGS presided today over an absolutely splendid Provincial Grand Chapter meeting today, he was well supported by our Distinguished Guests from many different Provinces and every one of our chapters was represented.
The MEGS ‘called off’ the Provincial Grand Chapter in order to invite members of the White Knights into the assembly and present them with a ‘Blood Bike’
The Deputy Grand Superintendent explained what the Blood Bikes do and welcomed the representatives of the White Knights. I reproduce his address below, it is well worth a read:
Companions, every year you, our members, make donations through your Chapters to West Riding Masonic Charities, Ltd., from which a number of major grants are made annually.
This year, Provincial Grand Chapter has successfully made an application, on your behalf, for a major grant in support of a charity which provides a vital, potentially life saving, “Out of hours”, urgent and emergency medical transportation service.
During normal working hours, the NHS and other Charitable Health Organisations use their own transportation systems to move blood, plasma, pathology samples, urgent pharmacy-controlled drugs and other vital supplies between hospitals, hospices and supply centres.
Overnight and at weekends these transport facilities are not always available for urgent deliveries, and reliance often falls upon commercial Couriers or Private Hire Taxis, which come at a substantial cost and in exceptional circumstances, Emergency Services such as the Police or Ambulance Service are called upon, diverting their valuable resources.
This is where independent Blood Bike Charities across the country, like Whiteknights in our region, have such considerable impact.
Using motorcycles, the quickest, most efficient, means of navigating our congested road network, the volunteer, advanced-qualified riders of WhiteKnights provide a modern, sophisticated, fully- tracked and “within the hour,” urgent delivery service free of charge.
The WhiteKnights estimate that for each £1 it receives in donations or kind, the NHS will save at least £5 – money that can be passed on to provide more frontline patient care.
Despite having Full Time Jobs, many of their volunteer riders also give their spare time to help run and maintain what is a truly worthwhile charity, and an organization who are intent on making a difference to the diagnosis and care of patients in our community.
In Yorkshire, West Riding 4 teams are based North, South, West and middle to provide a service to all our NHS hospitals and Charitable Health organisations.
Whiteknights also participate in national relays with other Blood Bike groups, urgently transporting donated breast milk to neonatal maternity units across the country.
The service to recipients is free of charge but has high costs which have to be met by the donations it receives. They have a fleet of motorcycles to continuously run and maintain, with an approximate cost of £5-6k per bike annually.
Of course, a Blood Bike doesn’t last forever and replacements are needed. For the safety of their riders and ability to meet strict, medical transportation requirements, the motorcycles need to be robust, specially equipped and marked in high visibility reflective livery – adding considerably to their cost.
Today, this Provincial Grand Chapter of Yorkshire, West Riding, is pleased to present Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes, a new, fully equipped motorcycle, a presentation enabled by a grant of £20,000 from Yorkshire West Riding Masonic Charities Ltd.
Here to receive it on behalf of the White Knights are West Yorkshire Manager, Andy Dickens, Fleet Manager, Steve Annakin and Communications Manager, Matthew Beynon-Tullett and I ask you to show your appreciation and welcome them in the usual Masonic manner.
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Leeds & District Royal Arch Council will be celebrating their centenary on 6th June 2022. It may seem like a long time in the future but planning for it is well in hand.
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