NHS Blood and Transplant launch new service to turbocharge Black heritage recruitment by making donation an inspirational communal activity

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has launched a new service to make blood donation a more welcoming and empowering experience for Black heritage donors by enabling them to give blood together.

The move comes after feedback from Black heritage groups revealed they were more likely to become regular blood donors if they could donate as part of a group or network - be that work colleagues, faith, community or friendship groups.

In response, NHSBT has created a group booking system especially for Black heritage donors that allows them to reserve group slots to give blood together. The aim is to create a shared experience that makes donating a more welcoming, inspiring and impactful experience, Which the members of the University of Manchester African Caribbean Medical Society (ACMS) demonstrated by donating as a group at Plymouth Grove.

The initiative was created to help boost the number of Black heritage donors whose blood holds the key to treating people living with sickle cell – the country's fastest growing inherited blood disorder that affects around 18,000 people - each year 300 babies are born with the condition.

Sickle cell is more prevalent in people of Black heritage, and donors of African, Caribbean or mixed ethnic backgrounds are 10 times more likely than the White population to have the specific Ro blood subtype needed to treat the life-long condition. 

With a single person with sickle cell potentially needing blood from up to 100 donors every year to stay healthy, it's vitally important more Black donors come forward.

The new booking system will see groups reserve dedicated donation slots at their chosen centre to give blood together over a couple of hours. The service is available in 3 London donor centres – Brixton, Stratford and Shepherd's Bush. It is also available at the Plymouth donor centre in Manchester and Birmingham's New Street centre.

NHSBT Director of Donor Experience Mark Chambers said:

"The new group bookings initiative provides organisations the opportunity to reserve slots to give blood together. Whether it's friends, colleagues, or community members.

"The initiative is about creating a shared experience that makes donating more welcoming, inspiring, and impactful – especially for first time donors - in a setting that feels more like community than clinic.

"This new service is all about the power of community - a chance to come together, donate together, and save lives together."