As part of our Schools Education Programme, we have been invited by comprehensive schools throughout Wales to give presentations to sixth form students about the importance of becoming regular blood donors.
The Welsh Blood Service is finding it difficult to encourage young people, especially young male donors, to come forward and enrol as blood donors. With our donor database declining by 4% a year, it is vital we act now and inform young people how important they are to our service.
There are so many caring young people in Wales, it is crucial we let them know why the Welsh Blood Service needs their support, not only today but in the future. Visiting comprehensive schools and engaging with the students has played an essential role in raising awareness and proved to be an effective form of recruitment.
During our presentation, which lasts between 30 mins to 1 hour, we encourage students to become regular blood donors and also invite them be become involved with a new initiative that will make a difference to people’s lives. We ask them to volunteer to become Ambassadors within their school and represent the Welsh Blood Service by raising awareness of our life saving work.
Some of the ideas the Ambassadors will be helping us with are:-
· Promoting and raising awareness of dates of local blood donating sessions.
· Putting up posters displaying blood donor session dates within their school.
· Directing people to our website if they wish to register on line or need information before attending to donate.
We have been delighted with the response from students within the schools we have visited. Since September 07 over 46 students have pledged to become Welsh Blood Service Ambassadors – Welcome to the Heroes 4 Life!
A very big thank you to all the teachers who have allowed us to visit their schools, without their support this initiative would not be possible.
If your local comprehensive school has a sixth form and they would like a WBS representative to conduct a presentation, please contact Trudi Evans, Recruitment Manager at Welsh Blood Service on 01443 622088.
GIVE AND LET LIVE
The Welsh Blood Service are very proud to be a part of a new scheme that has been launched aimed at offering thousands of school children across the UK a special lesson in life by highlighting the ongoing need for blood, organ, tissue and bone marrow donors.
Give and Let Live has been produced by the NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), the pack is aimed at 14-16year olds with the intention of creating a generation of life-savers for the future. The resource will include a teacher’s pack with lesson plans, activity sheets, real life stories, debating topics, games and films.
There is a critical and ongoing need for donated organs, blood, tissue and bone marrow. The support of the public is vital to enable the life-saving procedures to take place that are made possible by these donations.
The programme aims to allow young people to see how they can make a difference to others’ lives; dispel some of the myths which discourage people from donating and help them decide whether giving blood, joining the NHS Organ Donor Register, or signing up to the bone marrow registry is something they would like to do.
If you would like further information please visit www.welshblood.org.uk/EDUCATION LEAFLETS & INFORMATION, which will give you details of this new initiative.