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Media Centre

Information and contact details for journalists and programme-makers.

For details about Riders and our work and for all media enquires, please contact Riders’ communication officer, Matthew Hann.

E-mail: mhann@riders.org
Tel: +44 (0) 1327 300047
Fax: +44 (0) 1327 308760
Web: http://www.riders.org
Out of hours mobile only: 07817 295 673

Introduction

Riders for Health is an international non-governmental organisation born out of the world of motorcycle racing. Its mission is to ensure that health workers in Africa have uninterrupted access to reliable transport. Without such transport, all health care projects fail. Using an innovative social enterprise model, Riders has developed a practical, dynamic approach which is helping to achieve real and sustainable development. They have put in place reliable preventive maintenance systems for two- and four-wheeled vehicles used in health care delivery allowing health workers to reach rural villages time and time again.

Riders currently operates three national programmes, in the Gambia, Zimbabwe and Nigeria, where we work with ministries of health, UN agencies and local humanitarian organisations. All programmes are managed by wholly-African, wholly-professional teams, and not by volunteers or expatriates. This means that Riders is able to build a lasting base of local knowledge and a culture of maintenance in the communities with which it works.

Riders is the official charity of MotoGP and motorcycle sport's ruling body, the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). The quality and innovation that Riders brings to its programmes in the field have been recognised gobally on many occasions. In particular, Riders is regarded worldwide as a leading example of social enterprise.

At a Glance - Riders in 2007

Operates in five countries (the Gambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania)
Employs 230 people in Africa
Manages 1,274 vehicles
Reaches 10.8 million people
Has helped increase the proportion of fully-immunised infants in The Gambia from 62% to 73%
In Zimbabwe there has been a 21% decline malaria in Binga district, in which all health workers are now mobile, compared with a 44% increase in neighbouring district.

How We Can Help

Riders can:

Provide case studies, pictures and information on our work in the field.
Provide facts and spokespeople on the issue of transport and logistics in development in Africa.
Provide facts and spokespeople to talk about social enterprise, as well as providing access to a network of leading social entrepreneurs.
Give information about links between the motorcycle community and charity, especially regarding fundraising.

Credits – Riders has appeared in several high profile TV programmes, newspapers and magazines.

2005 CNN documentary about our work in Kenya, presented by Christiane Amanpour.
2006 BBC LifeLine appeal presented by Suzi Perry.
2005 PBS documentary shown as part of Time magazine’s global health summit.
In 2005 Riders' founders ere featured in Time magazine as ‘heroes of global health’

Click here to download Riders press information sheet.