In December we enjoyed a super Christmas Lunch at the Heath Cafe, the food was delicious and we were served by friendly and efficient staff. We finished off the season with a Christmas coffee morning the following week. 
For our first meeting in 2024, we welcomed back John McCombe who had previously been a speaker at one of our other monthly meetings. John is a volunteer for the Herts & Beds SERV group of Blood Runners which provides a free out of hours delivery service for blood products and patient samples as well as Human Donor Milk, medical equipment and drugs. We were so impressed on hearing about this service that we chose the Blood Runners as our charity for 2023.
As well as working with hospitals and the Milk Bank, the group also works with Hospices, transferring patient samples, delivering medical equipment etc. 
In June 2022, the group was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service and in Spring 2023, John was invited to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace.
In 2023 the number of volunteers working with the group rose from 80 to 140 and has become more diverse. The workload is increasing with call-outs rising from 3,000 in 2022 to nearly 4,000 in 2023. Two thirds of their work is to do with the blood products and this is almost always at night while the majority of the Milk Bank work takes place during the day.
The Milk Bank is for mothers with premature babies or who are undergoing treatment and can’t express their own milk. Donors express and freeze their milk which is collected by the riders and delivered to the Milk Bank where it is processed and held in storage and eventually supplied to Neonatal Units as required. This is all free and available through the NHS.
At the end of his very interesting talk, our President, Pat Morritt, presented John with a cheque for £600 as a donation to the group’s funds. More details about this super organisation can be found on www.servhertsbeds.org.uk/who-we-are
WI AM meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at Market Hill Rooms, Royston.
Coffee and tea are served from 9.45am with a speaker following on. Visitors are welcome.
To find out more about the group contact Pat Morritt on 01763 661627
