Group blood donation for Black heritage communities
Book as a group to help people living with sickle cell.
There's a growing and urgent need for donors with the Ro subtype, a rare blood type most commonly found in people of Black heritage. This blood is a lifeline for people with sickle cell, the UK’s fastest-growing genetic condition.
A single person with sickle cell may need blood from up to 100 donors every year just to stay healthy. Yet currently, only around 50% of transfusions for people with sickle cell are the best possible match.
By leading a group donation, your organisation can help provide the perfectly matched blood that transforms patients' lives.
Why we are doing this
This service was created in direct response to feedback from our Black heritage partners, who highlighted the power of donating as a community. By coming together, it inspires more people to take part, normalises donation within networks, and helps build lasting habits.
Each donation is vital, but group bookings go further by creating collective impact and celebrating the strength of communities in saving lives.
Donate together
A group booking is a chance for your organisation to reserve slots to give blood together. Whether you're a Church, Mosque, faith or race staff network, African or Caribbean university society, or community group.
Whether it's friends, colleagues, or community members, it's about creating a shared experience that makes donating more welcoming, inspiring, and impactful. For first time donors, giving side by side helps ease nerves, boost confidence, and create a supportive environment that feels more like community than clinic.
Group bookings allow your group to donate within the same session, usually spread across a couple of hours so everyone can give in a way that's safe and comfortable.
For your organisation, it's an opportunity to lead a life-saving event that makes a tangible difference.
Group donation sessions are available at the following donor centres:
- Birmingham
- London, Brixton
- London, Stratford
- London, Shepherd’s Bush
- Manchester, Plymouth Grove
How to arrange your group booking
Booking for your organisation is a simple, 2-step process:
1. Check session availability
Review the session availability grid below to find a suitable month and location for your group.
2. Reserve your slots
Email us at groupbookingsdonorcentres@nhsbt.nhs.uk with the following information:
- Your organisation's name
- Your preferred donor centre, month, and preferred date (please see our scheduling note below regarding donation weeks)
- An estimated number of people in your group (usually between 15-40)
A member of our team will then get in touch to coordinate the final details and reserve your group's space. Once confirmed, we will provide you with a private booking page for your members to sign up and support you through the process.
Group booking availability
Below you can see the upcoming availability for group donations at our selected Donor Centres.
Group bookings run in the third week of the month for our Brixton centre and the last week of the month for all other locations.
The table below is an embedded Google Sheet showing upcoming group donation sessions by date and donor centre.
If you find it difficult to use or view on mobile, you can download the group booking availability (CSV).
We look forward to welcoming your group and saving lives together.