Why you should join Bloodsoc

We see adverts for blood donation every day. Posters, TV, leaflets, vans, and even the sign outside the donation centre on New Street which most of us walk past regularly. The university even has its very own society dedicated to giving blood, but how many of you have actually thought about it beyond that?

In less time than it takes for you to watch an episode of your favourite TV show, you could have helped save up to three lives.

Blood donation takes on average between 5 and 15 minutes, with the whole appointment estimated to last around an hour. In this time you have various health checks to ensure that it is safe for you and the receiving patient to take your blood.

Before and after your donation you are advised to eat and drink as much as possible to ensure it does not have any negative effects on your health. While alcohol is unfortunately not included in this recommendation of ‘drink’, surely it is a perfect excuse to have all those snacks without feeling guilty? Free food and drink is also provided in a relaxed environment after the donation. They don’t just take your blood and kick you out.

While you can easily do it alone by using the easy online appointment booking service, UoBs Bloodsoc offers support throughout the whole process. They have trips to the New Street donor centre every month during term-time where the group travels together, a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and make new friends. They even book your appointment and pay for your train fare from the university.

As someone who has had a member of their family saved due to a blood transfusion, I honestly think it is one of the best things a person can do. For such a short sacrifice of time, you can change so many lives. Your donation could prevent someone from losing their mother, father, sibling, or friend. Imagine if you were in that position. How grateful would you be to the stranger whose blood donation saved your mother’s life?

The Tab asked people in Birmingham how they felt about blood donation: “As a husband who would have lost my wife if it weren’t for blood donation and transfusion, I think blood donation is vital in saving lives.”

“Having had a blood transfusion that saved my life I am most grateful to those people who donated blood. They meant that I could watch my children grow up and prevented my husband from becoming a single parent.”

It’s not that uncommon either. According to The Mail Online, over half a million people each year receive a blood transfusion.

This need for blood donations never ends. The NHS relies on 6,000 donors each day to meet demand. If everyone who was able helped to meet that target then there would be many fewer preventable deaths.

You can find out if you’re eligible for blood donation here and through Bloodsoc. So what are you waiting for? It takes five minutes to find out if you’re eligible, and an hour at most to donate. In one hour you could save three lives, that’s pretty cool isn’t it?