PEMBROKESHIRE PANNIERS Volunteer Motorcycle Couriers are delivering vital personal protective equipment (PPE) to social care and medical centres across Pembrokeshire. The volunteer group of mature bikers, who are more like Pembrokeshire’s Angels than Hells Angels, are co-ordinated by David Stewart-Walvin from Tenby with members living in Tenby, Kilgetty, Haverfordwest and Milford.
We are all aware of the vital life-saving work our care services and medical staff are providing at this difficult time. The need for PPE to protect workers and those they treat since the coronavirus outbreak is constant.
Local volunteers with a talent for sewing are working hard to provide equipment for local frontline Hywel Dda staff, hospices, GP surgeries, midwives, carers and key workers. Pembrokeshire Sewers, headed by Wendy Morse, are making headbands and uniform bags. Anthea Evenden co-ordinates Pembrokeshire For The Love Of Scrubs, with more than 140 dressmakers and stitchers making uniforms, scrub bags, reusable gowns, and headbands and Tenby Freemasons have donated plastic face shields.
As demand and production grow, so does the need for the items to be transported. This task was initially undertaken by Tuk Tuk Time Rainbow Delivery squad who offer free shopping, prescription collection and delivery services. Tuk Tuk driver Geoff began delivering essential equipment out of the Tuk Tuk delivery areas via motorbike. When Geoff returned to work he contacted fellow bikers and on March 20th Pembrokeshire Panniers Volunteer Motorcycle Couriers took to the road. The group are now registered with Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services (PAVS).
In a typical day there is anything up to 20 deliveries. David Stewart-Walvin contacts the PPE co-ordinators who advise him what equipment needs transporting and where. David then arranges the jobs into delivery routes and sends out information to the Pembrokeshire Panniers via WhatsApp group.
“We are very grateful to Pembs Panniers for their invaluable help with collections and deliveries of fabric, completed scrubs, gowns, bags, headbands and masks around the county. Nothing is too much trouble and they’re always cheerful, rain or shine.” Said Anthea.
On a special mission, Pembrokeshire Panniers organised a relay type delivery service to get vital PPE to University Hospital Wales, Cardiff, where the daughter of Pembrokeshire Sewers organiser, Stephanie Morse, was receiving emergency dialysis. Respecting travelling rules and social distancing several bikers passed the PPE at different points in their locality in the form of a relay delivery reaching to Cardiff within 2 hours of despatch.
“We all want to help, our area of expertise is safe delivery via motorcycle. We are a fast response group handling collection and delivery of medical and PPE equipment to Social Care, Medical and Key Worker groups as well as mainstream hospitals. If services need PPE they contact the local volunteer groups who are making the PPE, we then arrange to deliver the required equipment.” said David.
Pembrokeshire Panniers are volunteers; the bikers are personally financing fuel and running costs for the essential journeys. If you would like to donate fuel costs or your business might like to sponsor them, please contact David via the email address below.
If you are a group making PPE, an organisation or medical service needing PPE please contact the numbers below and the Pembrokeshire Panniers will do their best to deliver, usually within 24-48 hours.
