27th January 2014
Press release with picture for immediate release
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Freewheelers and Lions team up to deliver life-saving message in a bottle
Bikers from voluntary emergency courier service Devon Freewheelers are helping to save even more
lives after agreeing to help the Lions Club distribute bottles for use by vulnerable people.
The Message in a Bottle (MIB) scheme comprises bottles designed to contain vital information that
can aid NHS emergency services in the event of a medical crisis in the home.
A plastic bottle is labelled with a green cross, filled with personal and medical details and kept in the
fridge. Green cross stickers are then fixed to the back of the front door and the door of the fridge so
that NHS emergency services know to look for a bottle.
Devon Freewheelers CEO, Daniel Lavery, explained: “It’s a really simple idea but it catches peoples’
imaginations as it has the potential to be of real help to the elderly, people living on their own or
those with life-threatening medical issues.
“The Lions Club felt that the Freewheelers could get the bottles out to people they would not
normally come into contact with so they asked us to carry them on our bikes and hand them out at
fundraising events. There has been unprecedented interest from people we show the bottles to and
we’ve handed out hundreds so far,” added Daniel.
The bottle comes as part of an emergency information pack, which contains a simple form to be
completed with medical and personal information, such as doctor’s name and contact details, a brief
description of existing medical conditions and names of people who can be contacted in an
emergency.
A repeat prescription list can also be kept in the bottle, as the information this contains can be
valuable to the emergency services. , helping paramedics to administer life-saving drugs whilst
avoiding potential drug reactions. The form has space for details on any pets so that these can be
cared for should they be left alone.
Bob Francis from the Lions Club, said: “We are delighted that members of Devon Freewheelers have
agreed to carry and distribute the bottles. This really shows how two organisations can work
together to take something out across the county. The Devon Freewheelers are raising awareness of
MiB and distributing the bottles, and, in turn, the Lions Club is raising awareness of the Freewheelers
and their work, so it’s a win-win solution. We have also been busy fundraising for them, too.”
MIB is a free service, managed and financed by the Lions Club. To obtain a bottle, ask a friendly
Freewheeler or contact your local Lions Club, enquire at your surgery, healthcare centre or chemist,
or email miab@lions105sw.org.uk
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Notes
Images
MIB8.jpg Message in a Bottle bottles and stickers
About Devon Freewheelers
‘Riding for Life’
Devon Freewheelers Emergency Voluntary Services is a registered charity (1138889). It is a voluntary service
providing an out of hours emergency response courier service to the NHS in the transportation of various vital
supplies including; blood platelets for transfusion, blood samples for testing and human tissue samples.
This service is provided at no cost to the patient or the hospital that has requested assistance. Devon
Freewheelers and its volunteer riders do not receive any payment from the patient or hospital that has
requested assistance, or funding from any other source for the service. All costs in providing the service are
covered by public donation or corporate sponsorship. Most of the volunteers work full time during the day and
are on standby in the evening to provide this vital service.
Devon Freewheelers riders have received blue light training from the police, and bikes are required to be in
emergency service livery. The service also has a Land Rover Defender provided by sponsor Otter Windows
which enables the service to operate in weather conditions that are not suitable for motorbikes.
Background
Devon Freewheelers began to offer the service to the NHS in 2009, after founder Daniel Lavery sold his family
home and used the proceeds to set the service up. He did this because a similar service in another part of the
country had saved the life of his wife and new baby son, and he realised there was nothing comparable in
Devon.