Campaign continues to build momentum after registering 6,000 new donors
THE National Blood Service’s VIP Appeal has announced details of its New Year blood donation campaign, launching this month and running until the end of March.
Alongside a whole host of other familiar faces, including former Misteeq lead singer Sabrina Washington, top BBC Asian music presenter and DJ Bobby Friction has paired up with Azra Hussain, a Birmingham mother who received blood transfusion while she was pregnant and someone who understands first hand just how vital a transfusion can be during childbirth.
Bobby Friction, who will be hosting the Asian Music awards on 11 March, decided to lend his support to the VIP Appeal and donate blood for the very first time.
Bobby Friction, who will be hosting the Asian Music awards on 11 March, decided to lend his support to the VIP Appeal and donate blood for the very first time.
Bobby and Azra will bring the blood donation journey to life and film an intimate one-to-one interview. Images, video footage and quotes will be used across a wide range of platforms including university activity, localised communications and online advertising.
“I urge the south Asian community to become blood donors as only 1% of the south Asian community actually donates blood,” Bobby said.
“I urge the south Asian community to become blood donors as only 1% of the south Asian community actually donates blood,” Bobby said.
“Donating blood is quick and easy and by donating blood you are saving lives!”
The Appeal has been launched to encourage new donors to step forward and donate blood as well as urge registered individuals to continue to give.
Specific blood groups are more common amongst people from the African, Caribbean and South Asian communities and certain medical conditions requiring regular blood transfusions also have higher prevalence within these communities including Sickle Cell Anaemia (African/Caribbean) and Thalassaemia Major (South Asian).
Azra Hussain from Solihull, Birmingham, was pregnant with her youngest child when she was diagnosed as anaemic and needed a blood transfusion.
The Appeal has been launched to encourage new donors to step forward and donate blood as well as urge registered individuals to continue to give.
Specific blood groups are more common amongst people from the African, Caribbean and South Asian communities and certain medical conditions requiring regular blood transfusions also have higher prevalence within these communities including Sickle Cell Anaemia (African/Caribbean) and Thalassaemia Major (South Asian).
Azra Hussain from Solihull, Birmingham, was pregnant with her youngest child when she was diagnosed as anaemic and needed a blood transfusion.
Azra, who gave birth to a healthy baby boy, said: “I am extremely grateful to the person or people who donated blood and helped me. I think it is really important for south Asian people to help each other and give blood.”
Patients need blood for vital treatments every day, so it is exceptionally important for new donors, who feel well and meet blood donor selection rules, to come forward now. Blood donation saves lives.
The VIP Appeal is a campaign by the National Blood Service (NBS) targeting South Asian, Black African and Black Caribbean communities to give blood and help meet the need for rare blood types within ethnic minority communities. Since its launch in February 2009 the VIP Appeal has attended over 30 events across England, teamed up with designer Wale Adeyemi for an exclusive limited edition T-shirt campaign and registered over 6000 blood donors, but there is still a long way to go.
For more information on the VIP Appeal visit www.blood.co.uk/vip or call 0300 123 23 23 quoting reference A05.
Patients need blood for vital treatments every day, so it is exceptionally important for new donors, who feel well and meet blood donor selection rules, to come forward now. Blood donation saves lives.
The VIP Appeal is a campaign by the National Blood Service (NBS) targeting South Asian, Black African and Black Caribbean communities to give blood and help meet the need for rare blood types within ethnic minority communities. Since its launch in February 2009 the VIP Appeal has attended over 30 events across England, teamed up with designer Wale Adeyemi for an exclusive limited edition T-shirt campaign and registered over 6000 blood donors, but there is still a long way to go.
For more information on the VIP Appeal visit www.blood.co.uk/vip or call 0300 123 23 23 quoting reference A05.
