Brixton blood centre now accepting group donations
Brixton Blood Donor Centre is launching a new service to boost the number of black blood donors.
The south London donation centre now allows people to give blood together as part of a group booking.
It follows feedback from black heritage groups who said they were more likely to become regular blood donors if they could donate with faith, community or friendship groups.
Mark Chambers, from NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), said: "The initiative is about creating a shared experience that makes donating more welcoming, inspiring, and impactful - especially for first-time donors - in a setting that feels more like community than clinic."
Sarah-Jane Nkrumah from Sickle Cell Unite, a London group that has used the new system, said: "We believe group bookings are incredibly important because they bring the community together.
"People are often more comfortable donating blood when they attend with friends or as part of a group; that sense of shared purpose really matters.
"It becomes more than just an opportunity to save lives; it's a chance to do something meaningful together."
Sickle cell is the country's fastest-growing inherited blood disorder and around 15,000 to 18,500 people live with blood disorder, making it the most common genetic condition in the UK.
Every year around 300 babies are born with sickle cell, which is more prevalent in people of black ethnic heritage.
Blood donors of African, Caribbean, or mixed ethnic backgrounds are 10 times more likely than white donors to have the specific Ro blood subtype needed to treat the life-long condition.
A person with sickle cell potentially needs blood from up to 100 donors every year to stay healthy.
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