On Thursday 11 June, we welcomed former East Anglian Air Ambulance pilot, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, back to our Norwich base when he delivered lifesaving blood ahead of the crew’s night shift.
Following a generous personal donation to Norfolk Blood Bikes, which enabled the charity to purchase a new vehicle, The Prince of Wales formally presented the car at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital before collecting our latest units of blood and personally delivering them to Helimed House. This donation not only strengthens Norfolk Blood Bikes incredible work, but also benefits lifesaving organisations and patients like ours that rely on a consistent and dependable blood supply.
When someone is losing a significant amount of blood, getting a transfusion quickly – at the scene of the emergency – can be the difference between life and death. Our Anglia One (Norwich) and Anglia Two (Cambridge) crews simply couldn’t deliver this level of care without the incredible support of our local Blood Bike charities. Their volunteers make sure our teams have access to red blood cells every single day by transporting units of blood products from local hospitals to our bases. This has a huge impact on people in our region who are experiencing some of the worst moments of their lives; 71 people treated by our crews in 2025 needed an emergency blood transfusion at the scene of the incident.
On completion of the delivery at Helimed House, The Prince of Wales spoke with Norfolk Blood Bike volunteers and Lennon Hayes, a former patient of East Anglian Air Ambulance, who received an emergency blood transfusion in December 2023. Then age 20, Lennon from Norwich was riding an e-scooter home from work when he was in a collision with a car, leaving him critically injured. Receiving advanced treatment and care, including blood, from the Anglia One (Norwich) crew at the scene, followed by a swift transfer by helicopter to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, gave him the best chance of survival and recovery.
Lennon said, “I was in a coma for over a month. When I came round, my Mum explained where I was and that I had been airlifted to hospital. Every day, I learned more about what happened to me. “I didn’t want to be a number on a stats spreadsheet about accidents that didn’t end well,” Lennon adds. “I’m far too young and want to live my life – so I want to say thank you to blood donors, the volunteers from Norfolk Blood Bikes and to the crew from East Anglian Air Ambulance because I wouldn’t be here without them.”
Matthew Jones, CEO at East Anglian Air Ambulance, said:
“We rely on a consistent and dependable blood supply to help treat some of the most critically injured people in our region. For patients experiencing severe bleeding, early transfusion can be the difference between survival and not surviving, giving them the very best chance of recovery. We simply could not provide this vital level of care without the exceptional support of local Blood Bike charities, whose dedicated volunteers ensure our crews have access to red blood cells every day.
His Royal Highness’s generous personal donation to Norfolk Blood Bikes, enabling the purchase of the new vehicle, will further strengthen their lifesaving work and help us continue delivering critical care across the region. As a former East Anglian Air Ambulance pilot, His Royal Highness remains closely connected to the work of air ambulances, and it was a pleasure to welcome him back today in such a meaningful way. We are incredibly grateful to Norfolk Blood Bikes for their essential contribution, and to His Royal Highness for his generous and impactful support.”
Sandy Gourlay, Norfolk Blood Bikes Chairman, said, “Volunteers from Norfolk Blood Bikes have been making nightly deliveries to East Anglian Air Ambulance in Norwich for several years. Our team are incredibly proud of the part they play in saving lives by picking up fresh stock every day at the hospital and delivering it to Helimed House, the charity’s Norwich base. We know the boxes we deliver enable the medical team on board the helicopter and critical care car to make lifesaving blood transfusions at the scene of an incident.
It has been an absolute privilege to complete this delivery with The Prince of Wales. We were bowled over by his generous donation of a new vehicle to our fleet, and it was wonderful that he also wanted to take part in a delivery to East Anglian Air Ambulance.”
Sandy continues, “Norfolk Blood Bikes and East Anglian Air Ambulance share the same passion to help others in crisis, and both teams are equally committed to ensuring every mission has the most positive outcome possible. The organisations exist to help every resident and visitor to our beautiful county and our collaborative relationship has never been so strong. We look forward to continuing our support for East Anglian Air Ambulance for as long as they need us.”
The Prince of Wales, who was a pilot with East Anglian Air Ambulance from 2015-2017, later took the opportunity to reconnect with some of his former colleagues, while volunteers from Norfolk Blood Bikes and East Anglian Air Ambulance crew and ground staff marked the new vehicle to the fleet.
Thank you to all blood bike volunteers across the region for your remarkable dedication and support.
Related News
