Richard Drops Into GCHQ To Support Severn Freewheelers

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Top Gear star drops into GCHQ to support Severn Freewheelers

News article - 28 Apr 2015

Richard Hammond, star of BBC’s Top Gear, and Zog Ziegler, local motoring correspondent, joined staff at GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters) at their Cheltenham HQ today to celebrate the purchase of a new life-saving motorbike for Severn Freewheelers, funded by GCHQ staff.



The GCHQ charity fund (GCFund), towards which staff donate, has provided the £13,000 needed to buy the new machine as part of its remit to support worthwhile causes. The bike will assist local charity Severn Freewheelers in their critical care service to people in Gloucestershire and the surrounding area.

Sporting its new livery, the specially adapted bike was brought into GCHQ to be shown off with the help of the two special guests at a fund-raising ‘bake off’ for Severn Freewheelers. Both Richard Hammond and Zog Ziegler are keen supporters of the charity.



The new BMW bike will form part of the six-strong fleet of Severn Freewheelers' 'blood bikes' which provide a free year-round emergency out-of-hours medical courier service to the NHS.

Available 365 nights of the year, the blood bikes carry plasma, pathology samples, patient notes and other critical care items between hospitals, laboratories and care homes. Severn Freewheelers cover an area of some 10,000 square kilometres across Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, North Wiltshire and Herefordshire.

Severn Freewheelers is one of the many local and national charities actively supported by GCHQ staff .

In addition to raising funds, some GCHQ staff also ride for Severn Freewheelers in their free time. One GCHQ volunteer said:

'It’s brilliant that GCHQ staff have donated such a significant sum of money to purchase a new blood bike. SWF is funded totally by charitable donations, and with an annual running cost of £64,000, it is only possible to continue with the service if people continue to make donations – every contribution makes a difference and helps save lives…'



www.gchq.gov.uk/press_and_media/news_and_features/Pages/Blood-bike-Richard-Hammond.aspx

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GCHQ welcomes TV star Richard Hammond for handover of 'blood bike' to Severn Freewheelers

By Gloucestershire Echo | Posted: April 28, 2015


Former Top Gear host Richard Hammond at GCHQ

The vital work of GCHQ came to a pause today when TV star Richard Hammond came to the signal intelligence agency in Cheltenham to mark the hand-over of a vital piece of life-saving equipment.

(But don't worry, it was very brief and there were many more people still at their desks.)

Staff at the doughnut have raised more than £13,000 to buy a new BMW motorcycle for Severn Freewheelers a charity which provides emergency and out of hours medical courier services across Gloucestershire and neighbouring counties.

And longtime supporters Hammond and Gloucestershire-based motoring writer Zog Ziegler were at the handover ceremony, held inside the Top Secret headquarters.

As they entered the building staff lined the internal 'street' and overhead balconies and bridges to see them, they shook hands and some even applauded.

After the Louise, the chairwoman of the GC Fund - GCHQ's charity fundraising committee - handed over the keys to the gleaming machine to Paul, the chairman of Severn Freewheelers and also a member of staff at the Doughnut, Richard said: "Zog and I are honorary Freewheelers.

"I've been a biker for years and I came today on my day to day bike which is exactly the same model as the bike given to the Freewheelers today. Mine does nothing more important than take me to work but this machine will be used for something very important.

"I've had need of the air ambulance and things like Blood Bikes. I hope that nobody else ever does, and we all think we won't, but if you do, you'll be really glad they are there. So for GCHQ to get a new bike for the Freewheelers is great and I'd ask everyone to know they exist and give a fiver when they can. It's a small price to pay for something that might be very, very important, though I hope nobody is ever in need of them."

Paul, chairman of the Gloucestershire blood bikes charity said: "I'm so proud of my colleagues here at GCHQ for raising so much money. I get unsolicited offers of help, people come in and give me anything from £2 to £50, there's a tuck shop that raises money and people hold events all the time, and there are six people in the department who work for us.

"I have made journeys at 3am in the rain and early on New Year's Day and also the glorious Gloucestershire mornings. Sometimes you ride through terrible weather to special care baby units and nurses tell you you've helped save the life of a baby and that makes it all worthwhile."

Chairwoman of the GC Fund, Louise said: "Often our work has to be confidential so it was really nice for our staff to see something so tangible and so positive as a result of their fundraising. I'm really proud of them."

Even as the keys were being handed over the fundraising by GCHQ staff went on, with a popular cake sale raising money for the Severn Freewheelers.




Read more: www.gloucestershireecho.co.uk/GCHQ-welcomes-TV-star-Richard-Hammond-handover/story-26400982-detail/story.html




 

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