OXFORDSHIRE has seen a boost in blood donors following a campaign to get people signing up to help save lives across the county’s hospitals.

Almost 500 people in the county have registered to give blood compared to 160 in the same period last year after the Oxford Mail called on its readers to sign up as part of National Blood Donor week.

The campaign came after NHS Blood and Transplant, which operates blood donation services across Oxfordshire, revealed 2,000 more donors were required to help save lives.

Four of the county’s busiest hospitals use more than 26,000 pints of blood a year.

Gayle Franklin, manager of the Oxford Donor Centre, welcomed the surge in sign-ups.

She said: “This is definitely just the beginning for us.

“We are always in need to increase the number of donors because they decrease naturally. It’s really fantastic that in this short space of time, the numbers have increased.

“I think it’s really nice to know communities are behind us. Oxfordshire is supporting a great cause that is really important to saving people’s lives.”

One of the county’s oldest blood donors, Karin Oldham, said it was “excellent” that more people were coming forward to sign up and urged more to join.

Mrs Oldham has donated for more than 50 years and given the equivalent of 85 pints of blood.

The 77-year-old from Marston said: “There are so many diseases these days that do need blood and I think even if you have got an ordinary blood group it means that there are a lot of people with that blood type who may need that blood.

“I started donating because I just thought it was a good thing to do and I was fit and healthy.

“It’s nothing to be afraid of.”

It is hoped from the campaign that Oxfordshire will provide one per cent of the 204,000 new donors needed nationwide.

During National Blood Week Abingdon resident Anya Muir Wood implored people to sign up and save a life.

The 23-year-old received whole blood and platelet transfusions when she was treated for a cancerous tumour when she was 18.

The Cambridge University graduate said: “It’s fantastic that more people are signing up. I hope people follow through and give blood.”

The former St Helen and St Katherine School student added: “A lot of my friends have signed up, one of them is planning on taking his girlfriend on a date to give blood.

“It’s such an easy thing to do and you get such a good feeling for doing it.”

Ms Franklin added that the blood donor centre had seen more people coming through its doors.

She said: “Having National Blood Week has put it in the forefronts of people’s minds and it has made a difference.

“I think the more we can publicise the reasons why you need to donate blood the better.

“Having that real contact with people means they will come along and help.”

Oxford Mail:
‘Excellent news’: Karin Oldham is one of the county’s oldest blood donors

Last week Oxford Mail journalists signed up to donate blood themselves.

Dozens pledged at a special session held at the newspaper’s offices in Osney Mead to give blood at the Oxford Donor Centre at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

NHS Blood and Transplant’s marketing officer Karen Healy thanked the Oxford Mail for supporting the National Blood Week campaign to recruit new blood donors.

“We’d like to thank the Oxford Mail for supporting this year’s National Blood Week campaign to recruit new blood donors, both through the tremendous coverage of the campaign in the paper last week and also by welcoming us to their offices to talk to the people who work there.

“Giving blood is an amazing thing to do, but fewer new donors are coming forward these days.

“We hope people will come forward and help us to reverse the decline in new donors.”

GET INVOLVED

To register as a donor go to blood.co.uk

To donate you can book an appointment at the Oxford Blood Centre between 9.40am and 6.50pm on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. The centre is also open for early sessions on Wednesday and Friday between 8am and 5.20pm.

It accepts walk-ins but visitors are advices to book ahead to reduce their waiting time by booking online at blood.co.uk or call 03001232323.

Mobile blood donations are planned to take place at The Kennington Village Hall on June 24.
For more details or to book an appointment visit blood.co.uk.