Blood Bikes East named as Intel Ireland 2023 Signature Charity

Intel Ireland announces a charitable partnership with the Emergency Rider Voluntary Service

News

author-image

By

​At the core of Intel Ireland is a passion for volunteering, community involvement and the environment. We are committed to making a positive impact throughout our local communities and supporting the work of charitable organisations.

Every year we select a charity for our employees to dedicate their combined efforts towards. Throughout the year our employees will provide volunteer time and funds, raised through specially organised activities, to a chosen charity.

For 2023, we have selected Blood Bikes East as our signature charity.

Blood Bikes East is an Emergency Rider Voluntary Service which aims to relieve sickness and protect health by the provision of transport of urgently needed blood, blood products, breast milk, patient records, scans and urgent medical equipment etc. The service transports these vital items between hospitals and blood transfusion banks in Dublin city and the greater Dublin area, free of charge.

Blood Bikes East will also benefit from Intel’s unique initiative, the Matching Grant Program, which motivates employees to engage in volunteerism by providing cash grants to the organisations where the employees volunteer their time. For every volunteer hour that is contributed to our signature charities, a ‘match’ (donation) of $10 will be paid to the charity by the Intel Foundation. For every volunteer hour that is contributed to our signature charities, a ‘match’ (donation) of $10 will be paid to the charity by the Intel Foundation. As well as this the organisation will receive the benefit of another unique program, the ‘Matched Donation’ where the Intel Foundation match direct donations by employees to the organisation.

Through the charity partnership in 2023, Intel Ireland are aiming to raise enough to funds to go towards the purchase of a new replacement vehicle to upgrade the existing fleet.

Speaking about the partnership, Aidan Collins, Communication Manager, Blood Bikes East said, "Blood Bikes East is committed to providing free out of hours medical transport services to public hospitals, medical centres, hospices and other medical facilities on a 100% voluntary basis. As we are in receipt of no government subsidy, the support that Intel Ireland is announcing today by nominating us as ‘Intel Signature Charity 2023’ is an enormous benefit, not just for the potential funds raised, but the profile it offers. We look forward to engaging with the Intel team throughout 2023 and beyond."

About Blood Bike East

Blood Bikes East provides an emergency medical transport service between the hospitals in Dublin city and the greater Dublin area.

This is all done by volunteers in their free time for no financial reward and completely FREE of charge to its contracted hospitals and care facilities.

If Blood Bikes East did not exist, every time an item needed to go from one hospital to another, they will have to pay for a taxi, courier or ask the ambulance service to take it. BBE therefore saves the hospitals vital funds that can be used to help more patients.

Editor’s Note: On Feb. 21, 2023, the description of Blood Bikes East has been edited to better describe its geographic area of work.