NHS Blood and Transplant is urging people in Hampshire to say #ImThere and start saving lives by registering as new blood donors during National Blood Week (June19-25).

Over the past year, 900,000 people have given up their time to help patients in need but the service needs 200,000 new blood donors each year to ensure that patients in the future have access to the blood they need, when they need it.

Last year, 36,504 people in Hampshire gave blood at least once.

NHS Blood and Transplant says there is a particular need for more young people, who will become the next generation of donors, to give regularly as half of all donors in England are aged over 45.

More black donors are also needed – only one per cent of current blood donors are black.

Approximately 10,000 black people donated blood last year. NHS Blood and Transplant says it needs 40,000 new black donors to give blood and help save the lives of patients with sickle cell disease across England.

Sickle cell disease is the fastest growing genetic condition in England and most common in black people, causing extreme pain, life-threatening infections and other complications such as stroke or loss of vision.

Mike Stredder, director of Blood Donation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “There is an ongoing need for more young donors to safeguard blood donation for future generations. And it is vital our blood donors, reflect the diversity of the population because blood types vary across communities. Those who rely on regular transfusions, need blood which is more closely matched than by group alone, and this will often come from donors of the same ethnicity.

“Don’t worry if you’ve never given blood before and don’t know what blood group you are – you find out shortly after your first donation. What’s important is that you register as a donor and book your first appointment to donate. By saying ‘I’m there’, you can save the life of someone else, while going about yours.”

Donating blood should take no more than an hour from appointment time and each donation can save or improve up to three lives.

In general, as long as you are fit and healthy, weigh over 7 stone 12lbs (50kg) and are aged between 17 and 66 (up to 70 if you have given blood before) you should be able to give blood. If you are over 70, you need to have given blood in the

last two years to continue.

If you’re already a blood donor, why not look into whether you could become a platelet donor. There is a particular need for A negative blood group as they can help any patient, regardless of blood type. One platelet donation can help up to three adults or 12 babies or children.

Sign up as a new donor or book an appointment at blood.co.uk or ring 0300 123 23 23.

Whether you are a long term donor or newly registered, show your support for blood donation and those patients whose lives depend on it today, by saying #ImThere on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Campaign hashtags: #GiveBlood #ImThere