Peter Small is well on the way to achieving a rare ambition of donating 100 units of blood.
The National Blood Service presented him with the Emerald Award in recognition of donating more than 75 units --a figure achieved by only three per cent of the country's 1.9 million donors.
Mr Small, pictured with the award, has donated 93 units -- enough to help nearly 280 patients.
Mr Small, 67, of Brasenose Road, Didcot, regularly gives blood at donor sessions at the town's Civic Hall.
He first gave blood in Goring-on-Thames when he was a 22-year-old farm labourer in 1958.
Since then, he has given blood whenever he can and has encouraged his family to do so.
NBS spokesman Louise Coxon said: "All of our donors are special but people like Mr Small who have regularly attended donor sessions throughout the years with such dedication really do deserve an extra thank you."
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