Bikers all geared up for Bike4Life Ride Out and Festival this weekend

The Midlands Air Ambulance Bike4Life Ride Out and Festival takes place on Sunday.

Thousands of bikers will travel in a 23-mile convoy from Meole Brace Park & Ride in Shrewsbury and finish at a festival of live bands, bike shows, trade stands and great food at RAF Cosford.

Dougie Bancroft from Powys, is the man behind the first Shropshire-based ride out fundraiser, which has grown to become one of the biggest and most popular motorbike ride outs in the country.

Dougie, aged 57, began his fundraising journey when he was fundraising manager at the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA).

He was responsible for organising events to raise money for the charity, a role that saw him work closely with staff at the RAF Museum in Cosford.

His first was the RAF Easter Egg Run in Wales and as a motorcycle enthusiast himself, he was keen to organise something the biking community could get involved with.

Hundreds turned out for the inaugural ride out that started at Shrewsbury Town Football Club – bikers came dressed as bunnies and they brought Easter eggs which they gave to local children.

Due to the first event reaching full capacity, Dougie needed to find a new starting point for the ride out.

Meole Brace Park and Ride then became the starting location of the Bike4Life Ride Out – and this continues to be the case today, a decade on.

Dougie, who has also worked in the armed forces, said: "My contract with RAFA finished after the second ride out but I wanted to remain involved with the event. It was something bikers started to look forward to and I wanted to continue working with the team at Cosford.

“It was through RAF Cosford that I became aware of the vital work of Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, which is located on the RAF Cosford site. I was instantly in awe of the work they do, particularly as they care for so many members of the biking community each year. As a biker myself, I spend a lot of time riding one of my five motorcycles on motorways and it's good to know there's someone there to look after you should the worse happen. I pledged that any future ride outs would be in aid of them."

Dougie, who has been married to Michelle for 35 years, with whom he shares a daughter, Kathryn, has been behind numerous fundraisers over the past few years including the world's first Santa Run in Newtown, the Wreath of Respect in honour of those who lost loved ones during conflicts, and Thankful Village Run which serves to honour villages across the UK whose loved ones went to war and returned home.

The Midlands Air Ambulance Charity took on the organising of the Bike4Life Ride Out and Festival in 2011.

Now in its tenth anniversary year, the fundraiser has collectively generated more than £500,000 for the vitally important pre-hospital service, funding hundreds of missions and saving countless lives.

The event features on bikers' international calendars and regularly attracts participants from all over Europe.

For 2022, the event is sponsored by national breakdown service provider the RAC.

Dougie added: "While I am not part of the organising committee these days, I know a huge amount of work goes into planning Bike4Life by the team at Midlands Air Ambulance Charity. Plus, the police do an excellent job marshalling and the local community and businesses are incredibly supportive - without them it wouldn't go ahead.”

This year's event has the support of some of the UK's most famous celebrity bikers including Carl Fogarty MBE, Ollie Ollerton, Steve Parrish, Dougie Lampkin MBE and Danny Buchan.

Dougie added: "When I first came up with the idea, I never thought the event would become this popular and I didn't imagine so many bikers would attend – some turn out every year and it's lovely to see so many familiar faces.

“I attend every event – it's a real spectacle and I get quite emotional seeing how it has grown. The amount of money that bikers have collectively raised for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity is nothing short of remarkable. I'll be there on April 24, loving every minute, and I'll support the charity every year."

Only limited places in the pre-registered event are available and people interested in attending this year's Bike4Life event can find out more at bike4lifefest.com