Welsh Blood Service urges sixth-form students to sign up as donors to protect future supplies

The Welsh Blood Service has launched a drive to recruit younger blood donors, urging sixth-form students and other people aged 17 and over to sign up to ensure future supplies remain stable as Wales’s population ages.

Blood stocks are currently described as normal, but the service said only about 3% of the population donates regularly and just 15% of donors are under 30 — raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of supplies. The campaign, called Gwaed Ifanc/Young Blood, also aims to encourage people to join the stem cell registry.

The Welsh Blood Service collects about 100,000 donations each year, and each donation can potentially save up to three lives. Its supplies support 19 hospitals across Wales and are used for a range of treatments, including cancer care, support after traumatic injury and emergency care for mothers in childbirth.

"We really need more young donors to come on board to sustain the future blood supplies for the 19 hospitals that we supply blood to in Wales," said Eleri Schiavone of the Welsh Blood Service. She said starting the habit of regular donation at a younger age is key to maintaining reserves over time.

The campaign places particular emphasis on recruiting people for the stem cell registry. The service said it aims to recruit more than 6,000 people a year aged 16 to 30, and people aged 16 to 45 from Black, Asian, mixed and minority ethnic backgrounds, to improve the chances of matched transplants. About 2,000 people in the UK require a stem cell transplant each year; three in 10 patients do not find a match and that proportion rises to seven in 10 for patients from Black, Asian, mixed or minority ethnic backgrounds, the service said.

At Ysgol Stanwell in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, staff and pupils have supported Welsh Blood Service drives since 2015. The school said students and staff have collectively saved up to 3,000 lives through donations and more than 120 pupils have joined the stem cell registry.

Saif, a 17-year-old head boy at the school who hopes to study medicine, described a feeling of connection after donating. "You also get a text to let you know where your blood donation was used at what date and at what time, so there's a real sense of connection to the fact you've donated blood," he said.

Other pupils described their reasons for taking part. Niamh, 17, said she was not nervous for her first donation because her parents had given blood before and that she had returned to donate again during the summer holidays. Elliot, also 17, said initial worries about pain proved unfounded and added, "I would 100% do it again." Staff at the school said the programme also supports wider civic education, encouraging young people to contribute to their local community.

Deputy head teacher Sarah Owens said the school’s values — effort, kindness and respect — aligned with encouraging students to give. "We want to encourage all of our young people to look at what they can give for their local community," she said.

Officials said regular donation from new generations is needed to balance demographic change and maintain a diverse donor pool for both blood and stem cell matches. The Welsh Blood Service is promoting the campaign across schools and communities and urging eligible residents to check donation criteria and book appointments through its website.