RMC's campaign aimed at supporting new arrival communities to give blood and save lives.
4,300 blood donations are needed every day
to meet the current needs of UK hospitals
12,000 more Black heritage donors are needed
to meet the growing demand for ethnically matched blood for sickle cell patients who need regular transfusions to stay alive
Register today
Giving blood in a simple, safe process that saves lives. Join us, register to give, and donate blood to support.
“Every time you donate blood, you can save up to three lives"
Who can give blood?
To be able to donate you will need to be:
- be generally fit and well
- be aged between 17 and 65
- weigh between 7 stone 12 lbs (50kg) and 25 stone (158kg)
- have suitable veins (we will check these before you donate)
and meet the donor eligibility criteria which is a series of questions about your current health and travel.
How does it work?
The first thing to do is to register to give blood. Once you are registered, you can book an appointment.
On the day of donation, you will be welcomed before being given a health screening which will check it is safe for you to donate. After this you will be able to donate.
Join us on a day of action
Coming soon, we will be announcing dates you can join us to donate blood together to help raise awareness and change lives
To be able to take part, you will need to have registered to donate
RMC would like to acknowlege the great campaigns led by Joanna Zawadzka, in Scotland, as well as the work of Teresa Buczkowska with the Immigrant Council of Ireland and Forum Polonia, both of which preceed RMC’s campaign. Their work using the term ‘Bloody Foreigners’ raised much needed awareness and led to numerous donations in both Scotland and Ireland.
FAQs
Does donating blood hurt?
Beyond the pinch of the needle and the pressure on your arm from the tourniquet, donating blood does not hurt. You may experience some dizziness or lightheadedness during or after your donation.Â
Can I donate if I've been abroad?
This will depend on when you travelled and where. You can use the NHS page to check
Does my ethnicity make a difference?
Everyone is able to donate.Â
The NHS need donors from all communities and ethnic backgrounds to donate blood so they can meet the needs of all patients.Â
For blood transfusions, the best match typically comes from blood donors from the same ethnic background.
