Blood Bikes Northwest today announced that it has been nominated by their local community to receive €26,000 in funding from the fourth annual AIB Community €1 Million Fund to help with its work in the Donegal community.

In just four years, the AIB Community €1 Million Fund will have supported nearly 300 charities across Ireland. Earlier this year, AIB asked its customers, the wider public, and staff to again nominate registered charities, that connect with causes that matter most to them and their communities, in the AIB Community €1 Million Fund.

To those charities chosen by the customers and wider public, AIB is allocating €700,000 across the four provinces and a separate category for charities in the greater Dublin area, while €300,000 will be donated to charities chosen by employees.

AIB is committed to connecting customers with their local community groups. They have introduced, through their partnership with Payzone a donation feature on the AIB Mobile app, enabling customers to donate to their nominated charities directly on the app. The charities will be listed on the app for the year following nomination.

Michael McDaid of Blood Bikes Northewest expressed his gratitude upon receiving the award: “This funding from the AIB Community €1 Million Fund means so much to us and will be instrumental in sustaining the vital services we provide. AIB’s continued commitment to supporting Local organisations makes a real difference, and we’ve seen firsthand how last year’s recipients benefited from this initiative.”

“What makes this recognition even more meaningful is knowing it came from public nominations. It’s genuinely heart-warming to see that the work we do hasn’t gone unnoticed. I want to thank our dedicated volunteers at Blood Bikes Northwest and extend our sincere appreciation to AIB for establishing this essential funding programme.”

This vital funding will enable Blood Bikes Northwest to continue delivering our emergency transport services across the region without interruption. The grant will allow us to upgrade our fleet of motorcycles and vehicles, ensuring they remain reliable and roadworthy for our volunteer riders who transport critical medical supplies, blood products, Breast Milk and patient samples between hospitals and healthcare facilities.

Speaking about the Fund, AIB Managing Director Retail Banking, Geraldine Casey said: “We are delighted once again this year to support over 66 charities through the AIB Community €1 Million Fund. AIB is deeply rooted in towns and villages across the country, and we are privileged to be able to provide much needed funding to those who are making such a powerful contribution to improving the lives of those who live in these communities. I would like to thank our customers and the public for taking the time to nominate these very worthy charities.’’

For more information on Blood Bikes Northwest visit https://www.bloodbikenorthwest.ie/

For more information on AIB’s work in the community visit www.aib.ie/community.