Thanks to money raised by leading local firm Russell Roof Tiles, more lives will be saved across the region.
Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Cheshire Blood Bikes delivers vital blood products and supplies to local hospitals. Thanks to donations from the Burton based roof tile manufacturer the charity has been able to enhance its fleet with a new £18,000 BMW “blood bike”, replacing an older vehicle in service. The charity - in recognition of the contribution from the roofing firm, has named the bike Russell RT.
Russell Roof Tiles has supported the charity for over a decade, raising £71,000 since 2016 to help the team continue to operate their services and save hospitals up to £300 per taxi journey to deliver urgent supplies - saving the NHS a significant amount during a time when funding is under increased pressure. The charity is an urgent volunteering service that is not Government funded; therefore, it relies on donations and fundraising to continue delivering its services to hospitals free of charge. Volunteers at the charity have been transporting blood products and other useful supplies such as breast milk to hospitals across the Midlands since 2014, using its fleet of 18 bikes and 4 cars.
In 2025, its team of 210 riders completed 7,744 jobs and travelled 335,144 miles in total. The team are one of the largest of all the UK blood bike groups and need to regularly change bikes due to wear and tear to allow them to continue supporting local hospitals. Previous donations from the manufacturer have helped the charity purchase two other “blood” bikes in the past, named ‘Bundy’ and ‘Brewer.’
Managing Director of Russell Roof Tiles, Andrew Hayward, said: “Having supported Shropshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire Blood Bikes for some time, it’s a charity that is incredibly close to us that does so much for the local community.
“It’s an honour to have the bike named after us and it’s fantastic to be recognised for the support we have provided to its team over the years. We are all looking forward to the bike getting on the road and helping those in need.” Chair at Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Cheshire Blood Bikes, Jeremy Cartwright, added: "The team at Russell Roof Tiles have been our loyal supporters for several years and their incredible efforts have made it possible for us to buy three bikes, Brewer, Bundy and Russel RT.
“Our fleet of motorcycles cover over 330,000 miles each year, so we need to replace them regularly to ensure safety and reliability and meet the growing demand from the hospitals we serve across Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Cheshire. We’re incredibly grateful to Russell Roof Tiles for its help in making this happen." The charity has a JustGiving page which people can use to support its mission by donating.
Russell Roof Tiles created its Give4Good initiative in 2021 and has since raised over £275,000 for good causes local to its sites through exciting fundraisers, including a charity skydive, golf days and a Race Across Europe challenge.
