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A striking pink motorcycle has joined the Greater Manchester Blood Bikes fleet after a donation from a charity set up in memory of a young girl who died in 2024. The bike has already been pressed into service, covering hundreds of miles and dozens of urgent runs in its first week.
A gift born from loss
The Honda NC750X was given to Greater Manchester Blood Bikes by Maisie Moo’s Missions, a charity created by Kathryn and Stuart Almond following the death of their daughter, Maisie, from acute liver failure in 2024. Maisie fell suddenly ill in September of that year; although a donor liver was located, her condition had deteriorated and she was too weak to undergo the transplant.
“During the operation, she would have needed a lot of blood, and at the time, the NHS was in an Amber Alert for blood supplies,” Kathryn Almond told MCN. The couple launched the charity in part to address that shortage and to support services that move blood and urgent medical supplies.
Immediate operational impact
Since joining the charity’s fleet of ten machines, the donated bike has logged roughly 600 miles and taken on 25 jobs in its first week, underscoring how quickly a single additional vehicle can be put to use.
Dave Parsons, Corporate Fundraising and Strategic Partnerships Trustee for the charity, expressed gratitude for the gift and pointed out a common misconception: many people assume blood bike groups are state-funded or commercial operations. In reality, they operate as volunteer-run, self-funded charities.
Costs, savings and visibility
Parsons estimates the running cost for each bike at about £2,500 a year and says a vehicle typically remains in service for three to four years. Despite those expenses, he argues the service delivers significant savings to the NHS. “We save the Greater Manchester NHS hundreds of thousands of pounds a year,” Parsons said, adding that similar groups nationwide produce savings that reach into the millions.
The bike was finished in pink at the request of Maisie’s family both because it was her favourite colour and because the bright livery improves visibility for the riders. Each pannier carries a QR code—one linking to Greater Manchester Blood Bikes’ fundraising channel and the other to Maisie Moo’s Missions—so members of the public can scan and contribute while the vehicle is on the road.
Community roots
The Almonds say Maisie’s generosity inspired the charity. “This has come from the need to want to help, and Maisie was a really giving girl; she worked every Saturday at our local hospice charity shop,” Kathryn Almond said, describing the project as a way to continue her daughter’s commitment to others.
The new bike’s early activity demonstrates how community-led donations are being used to support urgent medical logistics across Greater Manchester. If seen in public, the pannier QR codes provide a direct way for passersby to learn more about the two charities and support their work.
