UHI Inverness announces Blood Bikes charity as its new survey partner

A CHARITY that delivers blood samples and other live-saving supplies across the Highlands for free, has been named by UHI Inverness as the latest charity partner to benefit from a donation linked to its student survey.

This year’s Early Student Experience Survey will get underway on Monday, 29 September at UHI Inverness and will run until Friday,10 October. It gauges how students feel about their first few weeks of study, and it helps to inform any changes and further improvements to the student experience.

As an incentive to encourage students to participate in the survey, a donation based on the response rate will be given to new charity partner Highland and Islands Blood Bikes. The charity was nominated by students and staff at the Scottish School of Forestry. 

Highland and Islands Blood Bikes is a network of volunteer riders, drivers, controllers, fundraisers and organisers that delivers urgent medical medication, samples and equipment across the region. It clocks up almost 120,000 miles a year and relies solely on donations and grants to cover the £3,000 a month it costs to provide this life-saving free daily service. 

If the response rate exceeds more than 30% a £500 donation will be given to the charity and £999 will be donated if the rate goes over 55%. 

Zak Gillan, the charity’s Head of Business Development, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with UHI Inverness on the Early Student Experience Survey campaign. At Highland and Islands Blood Bikes we are driven by a passion for supporting communities across the region, and this collaboration allows us to connect with the next generation in a meaningful way. 
“The survey not only gives students a voice early in their university journey but also provides us with valuable insight into how we, as a voluntary organisation, can continue to build strong community links and raise awareness of the vital work Blood Bikes do. 
“By engaging with students from the outset, we hope to inspire them to get involved; whether through volunteering, advocacy or simply sharing our story. We believe that partnerships like this highlight the importance of community-led support services and demonstrate that, when we work together, we can make a real difference across the Highlands and Islands.”

The survey launch will take place in the atrium at UHI Inverness on Monday, 29 September from 9am to 2pm, when staff will be on hand to encourage students to submit the survey. The charity  volunteers will also be there to share information about the work they do.

A bake sale and raffle stall in aid of Blood Bikes will also be held on Friday, 10 October from 10.30am to 11.30am in the atrium, and the total donation will be presented to the charity at a special event at Balloch campus on Friday, 24 October from 10.30am.