Motorcycle club makes Christmas toy delivery to Chesterfield children's ward
Motorcyclists from the Dragon Back Riders Club roared up to Chesterfield Royal Hospital on the shortest day of the year to deliver some good cheer to children spending Christmas in treatment.
The club’s third annual toy collection produced its biggest haul yet with donations flooding in from riders and supporters across north Derbyshire.
On Sunday, December 21, an escort of two Santas led the pack into the car park blaring out Christmas classics from a loudspeaker to put smiles on the faces of young patients.
Club founder Simon O’Donnell said: “In terms of the quantity and quality of toys, this year was brilliant and we had a fantastic reception on arrival.
“We have to thank pretty much everyone who has anything to do with motorbikes around Chesterfield. People really pulled together to make this happen.”
DBRC stepped in to take over the toy operation after a previous organisation had to end its participation, and each year since the club has tried to refine the process and re-establish its prominence.
Simon said: “Being in hospital is bad enough for any child but at Christmas it’s even worse. Anything we can do to help is worth it.
“The NHS only has limited money and has to prioritise, but staff tell us over and over how much the toys help children get through their treatment.”
One patient particularly glad to meet the group was a young boy taking a detour en route to the operating theatre.
With the fun over for now, immediately after Christmas the organisers will start planning their next escapade.
Simon said: “We are planning to do something for Ashgate Hospice at the start of the New Year, because we know they’re struggling for money right now, and we’ll also start work on the Easter egg collection and the summer toy run back to CRH.
“We ride together as a club but these charity runs feel like the main purpose now. We’ve got all these people in one place, and we want to make use of that. We do it to put something back into the community.”
For details of the club’s next collections and how to get involved, join the Dragon Back Riders Club group on Facebook.