Lifesaving Support in Cornwall: New Blood Bike Hits the Roads Thanks to National Highways Funding

Cornwall Blood Bikes Receive £10,000 Boost for New BMW Motorbike

National Highways is making a significant impact in Cornwall by supporting vital lifesaving services through its Social Value funding programme. As part of the ongoing A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross road upgrade, the company has contributed £10,000 to Cornwall Blood Bikes, enabling the charity to purchase a brand-new BMW motorbike. The bike, specially adapted for the charity’s needs, has been named Unn Para – meaning One Team in Cornish – and is already operational across Cornwall.

The bike was officially handed over to the charity at the Ocean BMW dealership in Falmouth by Jordan Fortune, National Highways’ Assistant Project Manager for the A30 scheme. Since then, it has covered over 2,000 miles, transporting crucial medical supplies such as blood, platelets, samples, donor breast milk, and surgical instruments across the county. The bike is a key addition to the Cornwall Blood Bikes fleet, which last year alone clocked up 212,525 miles across 6,481 deliveries.

Chairperson Jayne Penlerick expressed the charity’s gratitude, stating, “A very big thank you from all the volunteers at Cornwall Blood Bikes to everyone at National Highways for their donation towards this new addition to our fleet of blood bikes.”

Further details about the charity’s work can be found on the Cornwall Blood Bikes website.

Additional Funding for Cornwall Air Ambulance and Local Communities

National Highways’ commitment to supporting local communities doesn’t stop with Cornwall Blood Bikes. The company has also invested £2,000 in a new flight suit for the Cornwall Air Ambulance team, which was recently handed over at their Newquay Airport base. The Blood Bikes team collaborates closely with the Cornwall Air Ambulance service, ensuring that they are well-equipped to provide lifesaving care, including transfusions, during emergencies across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Beyond these lifesaving contributions, National Highways has allocated £46,000 to support several community and environmental projects in the areas surrounding the A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross scheme. Beneficiaries include Nansledan School near Newquay, which has used the funds to create a sensory garden, as well as local sports clubs such as East Wheal Rose Football Club and Cornwall Saracens Basketball Club, both of which were able to purchase new equipment. Additionally, St Allen Parish Council received much-needed funding to install a new path and replace old and broken play area equipment at Zelah.

Nick Simmonds-Screech, Project Director for the A30 scheme, commented on the Social Value funding, saying, “While our focus is to deliver a high quality, safe road network, we’re passionate about making a positive impact on our local areas and communities, and we’re delighted to have been able to benefit a number of communities bordering our A30 road scheme.”

For more information on the Social Value fund, visit the National Highways website.

A30 Dual Carriageway Nears Completion

The new A30 dual carriageway, which opened to traffic in June, marks a significant improvement for the region’s infrastructure. The road upgrade, which is nearing full completion, will include final structural work, local authority road refinements, landscaping, and other environmental projects. These ancillary tasks will be completed in the coming months before the site officially closes.

For the latest updates on the A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross project, visit the National Highways A30 project page.