DAC is committed to supporting NHS Blood and Transplant to encourage more people to become regular blood donors:

 ‘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.‘

There are lots of blood donation centres around the UK so you can make an appointment to give blood at a time and location that suits your schedule. To find your nearest blood donation centre click here.

DAC is also committed to raising awareness about Sickle Cell Disease, the name for a group of inherited conditions that affect the red blood cells and the most serious type is called Sickle Cell Anaemia.

Sickle Cell disease mainly affects people of African, Caribbean, Middle Eastern, Eastern Mediterranean and Asian origin.

People with sickle cell disease produce unusually shaped red blood cells that can cause problems because they don’t live as long as healthy blood cells and they can become stuck in blood vessels.

Although long-term treatment can help manage many of the associated problems, Sickle Cell disease is a serious and lifelong condition.

One of the most important types of treatment for people who suffer from SCD is a blood transfusion. A blood transfusion can be a matter of life and death and in order for this treatment to be readily available the NHS urgently needs blood donations, especially from people who are of African, Caribbean, Asian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean descent and especially from people who carry the Sickle Cell trait.

For more information about Sickle Cell Disease and the importance of blood donations please visit: www.YourBloodHelps.co.uk