Blood donation

Record demand for blood donations to help sickle cell patients prompts urgent call for donors of Black heritage

We’re proud to be supporting Black History Month this October. We would love your help promoting our #InOurBlood campaign, as we continue to increase the number of people of Black heritage donating blood. For many people with Sickle cell, ethnically matched blood often provides the best treatment, and this year we need 16,600 Black Caribbean or Black African donors to help save or improve lives.

It's #InOurBlood to help people living with sickle cell. Strength can be found in communities coming together - just like a family. That's why Black communities have the unifying power to treat sickle cell and help friends and neighbours who are battling this disease. During Black History Month, we are urging people of Black heritage to donate blood.

Sickle cell is a serious, lifelong and life-threatening blood disorder that mainly affects people of Black African and Black Caribbean ethnicity. New figures from NHS Blood and Transplant reveal that a record 250 donations are now needed every day to treat people with sickle cell, many of whom who need regular blood transfusions every four to six weeks.

This figure shows a huge increase in demand - only 150 donations a day were needed five years ago.

And hospital demand is likely to rise even further, by 14% over the next five years.

Blood donations save lives.

Sickle cell is the fastest growing genetic disorder/condition in the UK. Sickle cell symptoms include anaemia, strokes, blindness, bone damage, and over time can experience damage to organs, such as liver, kidney, lungs, heart and spleen. Ethnically matched blood provides the best treatment - without it people with sickle cell are at risk of strokes, organ failure or even death. This year 16,600 Black Caribbean or Black African donors are urgently needed to give patients the life enhancing and life saving treatments they need. The power to treat sickle cell is #InOurBlood.

How you can help

Child laughing with graphic containing messaging 'Not family, but blood' and It's #InOurBlood to treat sickle cell. Book today at blood.co.uk

You can help us save lives by sharing our campaign messaging and assets to your followers.

#InOurBlood suggested social media posts:

The power to help treat sickle cell is #InOurBlood. Blood donors of Black heritage are urgently needed. Help save up to 3 lives in one hour. Book now at blood.co.uk

Not family, but blood

It’s #InOurBlood to treat sickle cell.

Just 60 minutes can save up to 3 lives. Book now at blood.co.uk

Accompanying #InOurBlood assets:

Please accompany your posts with campaign assets from our promoting donation hub.

Please support us by sharing this campaign toolkit with your family and friends - https://sway.office.com/3JE8EAMXG1vfku9D?ref=Link

NHS Blood and Transplant

 Twitter @NHSBT  

Visit  nhsbt.nhs.uk

NHS Blood and Transplant – ‘Give Hope this Easter’ Campaign

We are excited to bring you our Easter campaign, which will run from 14th April to 19th April 2022. For many people, Easter is a time of hope and a celebration of the gift of life. So, it’s a perfect time to consider blood or organ donation.

The campaign aims to raise awareness about how we can help our friends, family and community, through the gift of organ donation or blood donation at this special time of year. Through press and social media activity, we will be encouraging people to register as a blood donor and book an appointment to donate blood, as well as talk about organ donation with your loved ones and register your decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

We especially want to get more people of Black heritage talking about blood and organ donation. Can you help us?


The need for more blood donors of Black heritage:

• Sickle cell mainly affects people of Black heritage, and many people living with Sickle cell require regular blood transfusions.

• Black blood donors are ten times more likely to have the rare blood sub type (type Ro) needed to provide the best match

• That’s why we need more people of Black heritage registering as blood donors and booking an appointment to donate blood.

The need for more organ donors of Black heritage:

• We need more people from Black communities to tell their families they want to donate. Organ donation saves lives.

• Black ethnicity patients are over-represented on the transplant waiting list and more likely to need an organ transplant, due to susceptibility to illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension, which can result in organ failure.

• Certain organs, such as kidneys (which three quarters of people on the transplant waiting list are waiting for) are matched by blood group and tissue type. People from the same ethnic background are more likely to be a match

Easter campaign activity

We are excited to bring you some new content, we would love for you to share with your networks! Look out for these on NHSBT social media channels or you can download the videos here

• Video featuring BBC presenter Cole Morton sharing his message on organ donation

• Videos featuring Muyiwa Olarewaju, Premier gospel presenter and a singer song writer, sharing an important message on blood donation and organ donation

• Video featuring Tim Campbell, from the Apprentice, with a special message on blood and organ donation – we will share this video with you later this week

• New social media assets are available to download and share on your social media channels (the social assets are sized to fit most social platforms)

• A press release will go live on 14th April

Here are ways you can help us spread the word across your audiences:

1. Follow our social media channels @NHSOrganDonor @GiveBloodNHS, join the conversation, and share our campaign content

2. Share our Easter campaign social media assets, which are available to download here

Please use our recommended hashtags #GiveHope #Easter

3. Our press release goes live on our website on Thursday 14th April – please share with your networks 4. Encourage people to visit our websites to find out more

Blood donation – https://www.blood.co.uk/

Organ donation - https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/

Suggested social media captions

#GiveHope this #Easter – join @NHSOrganDonor and help save lives

#GiveHope this #Easter – talk to your loved ones about organ donation and register your decision @NHSOrganDonor #GiveHope this #Easter – join @GiveBloodNHS and help save lives

#GiveHope this #Easter – sign up as a blood donor and book an appointment to donate @GiveBloodNHS

Aretha and Shanann’s story

There are always inspiring stories to share – people whose lives have been impacted by organ or blood donation. Here you can find and watch a touching story of Aretha and her daughter Shanann, who is a kidney and pancreas recipient. https://bit.ly/3Kzuh3H


Aretha comes from a family where organ donation was never openly discussed and she was against organ donation, but after seeing how a transplant has improved her daughter’s life, Aretha is now a passionate advocate for organ donation and encourages more people of Black heritage to register as organ donors.

NHS Blood and Transplant

Do something amazing today

- Give Blood. Organ donation. The gift of life. You can visit us at www.nhsbt.nhs.uk