Convoy of big-hearted bikers and scooter riders will deliver hundreds of gifts to Alder Hey

A convoy of around 150 motorbike and scooter riders will head to Alder Hey this weekend to deliver hundreds of Christmas gifts to children.

The annual Two-wheeled Support Rideout will make its way from Edge Lane to the hospital on Sunday December 14.

With some riders dressed up in Christmas costumes, they’ll go en masse along a one-mile route to drop off toys, games, colouring books, pyjamas and selection boxes.

Since it started almost 20 years ago, the rideout has become a tradition which bikers, scooterists and patients look forward to each December.

Originally it was just scooter riders taking part until one of the founders, Terry Keane, was contacted by biker friends who do the Wirral Egg Run at Easter. They didn’t have anything planned for Christmas and asked to get involved so now it’s a mix of scooters and motorbikes.

For the past three years the rideout has been organised by Geoff Bell, who’s a member of the internationally recognised Liverpool Scooter Club.

He liaises with police over timings, the planned route and how many will be involved, and with Bike Marshals who give up their time to support the event and help keep everyone safe.

Geoff, who lives in Old Swan, also sets the date each year based on Liverpool and Everton home football fixtures to avoid having riders and match traffic heading along Queens Drive on the same afternoon.

He says riders come from all over Liverpool, the North West, North Wales and even Yorkshire to join in.

They strap carrier bags of presents onto their bikes, before all meeting up at McDonald’s on Edge Lane where Geoff is waiting to load them into his people carrier ready for Alder Hey.

The Christmas convoy sets off at 12midday, moving along Laurel Road, onto Prescot Road, back towards Old Swan, down Green Lane, on to The Jolly Miller pub and back along Queens Drive to the hospital.

“It’s long enough to be interesting, people like to see all the bikes because it’s a bit of a spectacle, but it’s short enough not to inconvenience traffic on the roads,” explains Geoff.

“Once we arrive, some of the patients come out if they can, and other kids are there lined up at the windows to see the bikes.”

After all the presents have been handed over, the bikers will head to the Alder Club in Alder Road where Liverpool Scooter Club holds its open day each summer.

“Ernie, who runs the club, makes a big batch of broth or curry to warm everyone up before they make the journey back home, as a thank you to everybody for coming.”

As well as parcels, the kind-hearted riders also donate cash – at Easter a bucket collection managed to raise over £800.

And they’re not the only ones who generously back the event; Geoff says they received a large bag full of toys from a lady in Walton who wanted to donate in memory of her own child.

“That’s what the rideout is all about,” he adds. “It’s about the children and the people who turn up on the day, put their hands in their pockets and those who make the donations.”