On Monday, the Oxford Mail launched its campaign to get 2,000 new blood donors to sign up during National Blood Week. More than 26,000 pints of blood are used by Oxfordshire hospitals every year, but there are only 15,320 active donors in the county. Reporter Alex Regan got first-hand experience of being a donor after giving blood at the John Radcliffe Hospital

For the past week I have spent time talking to the many people who give up their time, and their fluids, in a bid to save lives.

Many people are put off donating blood due to the needles and the sight of the red liquid, but for me it has always been about the time.

Selfishly I have always shrugged off the notion of giving blood, thinking that ‘someone else will do it’ or ‘I’m far too busy to do that’.

But after hearing the personal journeys that lead some people to donate platelets once a fortnight, I realised my excuse was pathetic.

Not only am I healthy enough to give blood, some of my loved ones have directly benefited from the kind donations of others.

My grandmother received several blood and platelet transfusions when she was diagnosed with leukaemia in 1999.

A mere hour of my time and a pint of blood could make all the difference to three adults, who could be in mortal danger without it.

So on Monday I took the plunge and booked an appointment to give blood at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

The Oxford Donor Centre, which is at the back of the hospital, is an impressive open and welcoming space full of plush donation recliners.

As a first-time donor, I had to go through the process of declaring illnesses, medications, operations, sexual health and whether I had received blood before.

This process is a reminder that not everyone can give blood, so those who are healthy enough to do it should do so – and in their droves.

I was then taken to one of the consultation rooms where my blood was tested for iron deficiency.

The donor care worker Josh told me that an average of three people a day are rejected from giving blood due to being anaemic.

A drop of my blood was plopped into a solution, and if it dropped to the bottom within 15 seconds I would know if I had enough iron to donate.

After a nail-biting two second-wait, which felt like an eternity, that tiny claret orb began moving towards the bottom of the tube.

Having passed all the tests and the screening process, I was told to drink a pint of water and get in the chair.

There, 20-year-old Beth Lock began inspecting my veins to see whether I was eligible to give platelets.

Being slightly nervous, I was a bit taken aback when she called me “beautiful”.

But I suddenly realised she was talking about my veins.

She had decided to become a donor carer to get over her fear of blood and needles and after nearly two years in the job, she has become a consummate professional.

Without realising it, she had already put the cannula into my arm, and after taking a few samples for lab tests, she began taking my donation.

The whole experience went in a flash. Within 10 minutes I had given my pint and I was sat down with a cup of tea, a pack of biscuits and a copy of the Oxford Mail.

But more importantly, a mere hour of my time could help save the life of three others.

* To become a blood donor visit blood.co.uk or call 0300 123 23 23.