(Image caption: Members of Midlands Air Ambulance Charity's aircrew, senior leadership team and board of Trustees with biker VIPs ready to lead the 2022 Ride Out.)

Thousands of bikers have helped raise more than £100,000, funding 61 future lifesaving missions, after taking part in Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s most successful Bike4Life Ride Out and Festival.

3,500 motorcyclists and hundreds of pillions took part in the annual organised 23-mile route from Meole Brace, in Shrewsbury, to one of the charity’s three operational airbases at RAF Cosford, in Shropshire. The event, which took place late April, was the most successful yet, helping to raise the six figure sum for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity. This means that 31 air ambulance and an additional 30 critical care cars missions have been made possible.

The event, which was officially sponsored by the RAC, was supported by a number of famed VIPs including:

• Mathew ‘Ollie’ Ollerton – A former UK Special Forces Soldier and widely known as a directing staff (DS) from Channel 4's popular SAS: Who Dares Wins.
• Carl 'Foggy' Fogarty MBE – motorcycle racer and one of the most successful world superbike racers who holds second highest number of race wins at 59. Sunday saw Carl take part in his fifth Bike4Life event.
• Steve Parrish – British former professional motorcycle and truck racer, and television commentator who was a teammate to Barry Sheene in the 1977 500cc world championship.
• Douglas "Dougie" Lampkin MBE – former professional motorcycle trials and endurocross rider, notable for being a seven-time motorcycle trials world outdoor champion.
• Danny Buchan – British superbike racer for the SYNETIQ BMW Racing 2022 team and two times British superstock champion.

Emma Gray, chief operating officer for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, said: “Since its humble beginnings in 2010 as a small ride out, now in its tenth year, Bike4Life has grown in popularity and support, and we have now reached a record number of riders, festival goers and lifesaving missions funded by the event.

“Road traffic collisions made up a third of the incidents our clinical crew attended in 2021, and sadly a great number of these involve motorcyclists in time critical need of rapid, advanced clinical intervention. We are truly grateful for the support shown by the biker community at Bike4Life and are truly amazed by their kindness and generosity, which has helped fund future missions for our rapid response, pre-hospital service”

To hear more updates on the charity’s Bike4Life Ride Out and Festival events visit the Bike4Life website or search ‘Bike4LifeFest’ on Facebook and Twitter.

Find out more about Midlands Air Ambulance Charity via the website and follow the organisation on social media.