National Blood Week

World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) is 14th June - the birthday of Nobel Prize winner Karl Landsteiner who discovered the blood grouping system - supported by the World Health Organization with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of blood donation. It's also a chance to thank blood donors around the globe and encourage others to join them. The host nation for this year's WBDD celebrations will be Buenos Aires Argentina, with the theme 'More blood. More life' and the challenge to 'Paint the world red'.

And this year sees National Blood Week (NBW) in England and North Wales which runs from 13th to 19th June. It's a chance to say thank you to our very own donors and to highlight some of the amazing stories of how blood donation helps to save lives. We'll be hosting lots of exciting events during the week to encourage more people to become regular blood donors.

Keep an eye out in the media for special reports, stories about blood donors and recipients, and interviews about National Blood Week and World Blood Donor Day. We're fortunate enough to have support from some familiar faces, including popstars Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and Jenny Frost, Radio One DJ Sara Cox, Olympic Ice Skater Jayne Torvill as well as ex-footballers Ian Wright and Gary Lineker.

Health Minister Anne Milton led by example and encouraged others to follow in her footsteps when she gave blood at the Department of Health offices in London. Speaking after making her donation, she said; "Save a life today and give blood. Don't wait for someone else to do it - this is your chance to make a difference".

Thank you for reading - please help us raise awareness of the importance of safe blood donation, and encourage your family and friends to make a date to donate!