Manchester leads the fight to recruit Black heritage blood donors

Manchester has been chosen by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) as one of only three cities in the country to be part of a pioneering new service to boost the number of Black heritage blood donors.

The new initiative, which is available at the city’s Manchester Plymouth Grove Donor Centre, is designed to make blood donation a more welcoming and empowering experience for Black heritage donors by enabling them to give blood together.

The move comes after feedback from Black heritage groups revealed they were more likely to become regular blood donors if they could donate as part of a group or network – be that work colleagues, faith, community, or friendship groups.

In response, NHSBT created a group booking system especially for Black heritage donors that allows them to reserve group slots to give blood together. The aim is to create a shared experience that makes donating a more welcoming, inspiring, and impactful experience.

Manchester joins London and Birmingham as the three cities to benefit from the new service.

The initiative was created to help boost the number of Black heritage donors whose blood holds the key to treating people living with sickle cell – the country’s fastest growing inherited blood disorder that affects around 18,000 people – each year, 300 babies are born with the condition.

Sickle cell is more prevalent in people of Black heritage, and donors of African, Caribbean, or mixed ethnic backgrounds are ten times more likely than the white population to have the specific Ro blood subtype needed to treat the life-long condition.

With a single person with sickle cell potentially needing blood from up to 100 donors every year to stay healthy, it’s vitally important more Black donors come forward.

NHSBT Director of Donor Experience Mark Chambers said: “The new group bookings initiative provides Manchester groups, be they friends, colleagues, or community members, with the opportunity to reserve slots to give blood together.

“NHSBT is calling on Manchester’s Black heritage communities to come together to take advantage of the new service and save up to three lives with each donation.

“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.

“It harnesses the power of community and is a chance to come together, donate together, and save lives together.”

Eniola Salami, Vice Chair of the African Caribbean Medical Society (ACMS) at the University of Manchester, whose group used the new bookings system, said: “ACMS had a great experience hosting our group blood donation event at Plymouth Grove.

“The day had a meaningful impact on our members. It created a supportive environment that encouraged many students to donate, including first-time donors who may not have otherwise felt confident to do so.

“We’re proud to support initiatives that raise awareness of the urgent need for more Black donors.”