GA Solicitors Advises on Lease of Purpose Built New Facility
Regional charity, South West Blood Bikes, has signed a six year lease on a new purpose built facility in Plymouth, with the contract advised upon by Plymouth headquartered law firm, GA Solicitors.
Located in Roborough, an area in the north of the city, the new facility is situated on land owned by medical technology manufacturing giant, Becton, Dickinson & Co. (known as BD). Costs for the design and construction were significant and were wholly funded by the company as part of its commitment to corporate social responsibility. Acting upon an initial staff suggestion, the business chose to actively assist the deserving charity and support its much needed services.
Run entirely by volunteers, South West Blood Bikes provides a free, out of hours transportation service for essential medical supplies such as blood, plasma, platelets and pathology samples. Volunteers use specially equipped motorcycles and cars to transport these vital supplies to hospitals and hospices throughout Devon and beyond.
The new facility will be used to house the charity’s Plymouth fleet of bikes and cars in a secure setting when not in use. All utility costs, as well as security of the site, will also be provided by BD as part of the lease agreement.
Steve Dower, chairman of South West Blood Bikes, commented: “We have been absolutely overwhelmed by the generosity of Becton Dickinson and are so grateful that out of the many worthy local charities, they decided to support us. Its plant in Plymouth manufactures a broad range of blood collection products – many of which SWBB transport as part of our blood bikes service across Devon, so there is a strong natural connection between our two organisations.
“This was a wonderful, but also unusual situation for our charity’s trustees, so it was of real benefit to be working with a specialist such as Alasdair Hall of GA Solicitors. He was able to provide sensible, commercial advice regarding the legal documentation, ensuring the trustees could make informed decisions in the best interests of the charity. We can now look forward to a long and mutually supportive relationship with BD, and a big thank you goes out to all at BD and to GA Solicitors.”
Alasdair Hall, partner of GA Solicitors and specialist commercial property solicitor, added: “It was an absolute pleasure to work with Steve and the team on this matter and what a fantastic opportunity it is for them. The arrangement with BD will mean so much to this valuable and life-saving charity.
“There were a lot of important elements to focus on regarding the arrangement, and both parties needed to be happy with their investment and commitment. I am certain that this relationship will have a positive impact for both organisations. Congratulations to Steve and all at South West Blood Bikes.”
Steve White, EHS manager at the Plymouth plant, added: “We are proud to be associated with South West Blood Bikes, an organisation whose values and mission closely align with our own. As an organisation dedicated to advancing the world of health, we recognise the vital role South West Blood Bikes plays in supporting the NHS and improving lives across the region. Their volunteer-led service exemplifies teamwork, and a deep sense of responsibility—qualities we strive to uphold in our own work. This partnership reflects a shared dedication to making a meaningful difference, and we are honoured to support and stand alongside such an inspiring group of individuals”.
The new facility in Plymouth supports one of the four geographically based teams for the charity. The remaining three are located in Torbay, North Devon and Exeter. The charity is the official Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes member for Devon and forms part of a nationwide chain of around 36 blood bike groups. It has service level agreements will all the NHS Trusts in Devon and, since November 2018, has saved the NHS and hospices it serves more than £773,000 in transportation costs, has completed 14,100 individual jobs, transported more than 83,500 individual consignments and in doing so, covered 459,000 miles.
Alasdair Hall, who offered legal advice to South West Blood Bikes on both the lease and relationship agreement, is a commercial property solicitor with nearly 20 years of experience. Alasdair advises a wide range of commercial clients, but has a specialist focus on charities and those in the not for profit sector.
ENDS
29/09/25
Note to Editors
GA Solicitors can trace its roots back more than 200 years and has been advising the people and businesses in the South West for its duration. Originally based in Devonport, the firm gets its initials from Thomas Husband Gill who joined the practice in 1875 and later went into partnership with Albert E. Akaster.
Now one of the region’s leading law firms, the 98-strong team at the Lexcel-accredited LLP, has offices in both Plymouth and Bath. It is ranked in The Legal 500, Chambers UK and Chambers High Net Worth and is structured around eight practice areas, each comprising its own specialist department:
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