Give blood
Every day blood donations save the lives of babies, mothers in childbirth and people having operations or suffering from medical conditions.
It is crucial that we all have access to our own inherited blood type. Specific blood groups are more common amongst South Asians, and patients with medical conditions such as Thalassaemia Major require regular transfusions.
Under 1% of blood donations in the UK are given by people of South Asian origin. That’s why we need you to be a VIP in your community and give blood.
If one of your friends or relatives ever needs blood to save their life, that lifesaver could be you. And one day the person needing blood could be you.
To find out more about becoming a blood donor visit our website www.blood.co.uk
Or call 0300 123 23 23.
THREE SIMPLE STEPS TO GIVING BLOOD
There are no health risks involved.
New needles are used for each donor, and your body replaces donated blood very quickly.
Here are the three steps to becoming a blood donor:
1.To find your nearest blood donation session, visit our website www.blood.co.uk or call 0300 123 23 23. When you visit your local donor session you will be asked to complete a short confidential health form.
2.Provide a small blood sample (just to check that you’re not anaemic), then lie back, relax and donate.
3.Once you’ve taken a few minutes to rest, you can be on your way. The entire session shouldn’t take much more than an hour and you can walk away knowing that you are a VIP in your community.
GIVE BLOOD THE FACTS
•Giving blood is usually painless.
•25% of the South Asian ethnic population are blood group B and only 9% of West Europeans share this group.
•Most religions in South Asia support the act of blood donation.
