TOWN council bosses in Nelson are calling on motorbike clubs from across East Lancashire to support a charity day for a vital service supporting the NHS.

Plans are being pulled together for a fundraiser in tribute to the North West Blood Bikes (NWBB) in the town centre on Saturday, June 17.

And with several well-established clubs meeting regularly across the region, organisers are hopefully of rallying kind-hearted riders behind the cause.

Cllr Eileen Ansar, who also represents Clover Hill ward on Pendle Council, said: “These bikers do such a fantastic job that we wanted to do something to help them keep going.

“This was an idea we had long before the Manchester bombing but you only had to see the contributions they, and other NHS staff, have made over the past week, to know that it’s going to be worthwhile.

“If people know of a biker friend or relative then we would ask them to get in touch because we’ve seen before how generous the biking community can be.”

Free children’s fairground rides, market stalls, tombolas and raffles have been lined up by town councillors for the event, which will be held in and around The Shuttle, between Manchester Road, Leeds Road and Market Street.

Bikers will be asked to donate £2 each to participate in the gathering and represent their club or organisation.

Members of the blood bikers’ Lancs and Lakes group, which incorporates the east of the county, like the rest of their colleagues, all work from home.

They transport everything from blood, platelets, samples for analysis, , donor breast milk and medication to patient notes and smaller medical instruments, often out-of-hours.

Earlier this month the section celebrated its fifth anniversary of its establishment.

A NWBB spokesman said: “From our humble beginnings, we now have a group of around 350 members and have completed almost 35,000 call outs, saving our local NHS trusts thousands if not millions of pounds in the process.

“But more importantly we have helped patients in hospitals by our caring, expedience and efficiency.”

Later this year the town council also hopes to stage a similar fundraiser for the North West Air Ambulance, which recently opened its first East Lancashire charity shop in Blackburn.

The blood bikers group, which have forged strong ties with East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, also have ongoing appeals for volunteer riders and controllers.

Volunteer riders can qualify to become involved by passing an assessment test. If you’re an advanced rider you may be allocated a liveried Lancs and Lakes bike.

Meanwhile volunteer controllers can work from home, as long as they have access to a mobile or landline and an internet-enabled computer.

Hospital trusts contact one central number and controllers can then dispatch the nearest rider for the assignment

Those bikers who would like to find out more about supporting the event are being asked to call Cllr Ansar on 07704 265290.