80 People Register to Donate Blood at What’s Your Blood Type Event
Plasma of Hope, in collaboration with the BAME Network Council, successfully organised its inaugural
“What’s Your Blood Type” event on Monday, June 5th. The event, held at the Walsall NHS Trust in
partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant Service, aimed to encourage people to register for blood
type testing and become blood donors. The response from the community was exceptional, with queues
forming as early as 7:30 am and lasting until the event’s conclusion at 2:30 pm. The overwhelming
turnout demonstrated the commitment of both the hospital staff and the public.
The tremendous success of the event can be attributed to the incredible support of the Walsall network.
The event received outstanding publicity, thanks to the efforts of One Walsall, Walsall for All, and
individuals who promoted the event across various social networks. We extend our heartfelt appreciation
to The Lord Mayor of Walsall, Cllr Chris Towe, for gracing the event with his presence, as well as to
Richard Parker, the Labour candidate for Mayor of West Midlands, who not only attended but also
underwent blood type testing. We are also grateful to Cllr Nawaz, the Leader of Walsall Labour Group,
and the officials and executives from Manor Hospital who participated in blood type testing. The event’s
success would not have been possible without the dedication of our volunteers, Hazel Preece, Michelle
Blanch, and their colleagues at NHS Blood and Transplant Service. To each and every person who
contributed to this event, we offer our heartfelt thanks!
Plasma of Hope supports and advocates for individuals living with sickle cell disease and thalassemia.
Blood donation plays a crucial role in our mission, as it is essential to improving the quality of life for
these vulnerable individuals. We are committed to continuing our efforts in encouraging the community to donate blood, as we firmly believe that it is vital for the well-being of those in need.
The impact of our campaign is evident in the statistics. Out of the 80 newly registered blood donors, an
impressive 51 of them booked appointments to donate at local mobile donation centres. Notably, 43% of
the registered donors were potential RO donors, aligning perfectly with NHSBT’s Black Heritage
Recruitment target. These numbers indicate the significant influence of our campaign and its ability to
drive positive action.
We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of this event, with a special
acknowledgment to the dedicated team at NHS Blood and Transplant. Our plea for blood donation
continues, and we implore the community to support us in this endeavour.
