Why Donate?

Giving blood saves lives. The blood you give is a lifeline in an emergency and for people who need long-term treatments.

Many people would not be alive today if donors had not generously given their blood.

Who can give blood

• are fit and healthy
• weigh between 7 stone 12 lbs and 25 stone, or 50kg and 160kg
• are aged between 17 and 66 (or 70 if you have given blood before
• are over 70 and have given blood in the last two years

Why we need you to give blood

We need over 6,000 blood donations every day to treat patients in need across England. Which is why there’s always a need for people to give blood.

How blood is used

Blood or the components of blood are used to treat patients with medical conditions such as anaemia, cancer blood disorders, and those having surgery..

Each year we need approximately 200,000 new donors, as some donors can no longer give blood.

Around half our current donors are over 45. That's why we need more young people (over the age of 17) to start giving blood, so we can make sure we have enough blood in the future.

Blood components

Blood is made up of a number of components, including red blood cells, platelets and plasma. Each of these can be used to treat many different conditions.

Blood is usually separated into its individual components or parts, so a patient can be given the particular component they need.

This makes the most of every blood donation, as the components in one unit of blood (or one donation) can be used to treat different patients.