The Brixton Blood Donor Centre is introducing a new initiative aimed at increasing the number of black blood donors.

This donation center in south London now offers the option for individuals to donate blood as part of a group booking.

This change comes in response to suggestions from black heritage organizations, who indicated that they would be more inclined to become regular donors if they could donate alongside their faith, community, or friendship groups.

Mark Chambers of NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) noted, “This initiative aims to foster a collective experience that makes blood donation more inviting, motivating, and meaningful—especially for those donating for the first time—within an environment that resembles a community gathering rather than a clinical setting.”

Sarah-Jane Nkrumah, representing Sickle Cell Unite, a London-based organization that has benefited from this new approach, remarked, “Group bookings are vital because they unite the community.

“Individuals often feel more at ease donating blood when they do so with friends or as part of a group; that feeling of shared mission is really significant.

“It transforms the act of donating into more than just a life-saving endeavor; it becomes an opportunity to engage in something meaningful together.”

Sickle cell disease is the UK’s fastest-growing inherited blood disorder, affecting approximately 15,000 to 18,500 individuals, making it the most prevalent genetic condition in the country.

Each year, around 300 babies are born with sickle cell disease, which is particularly common among people of black ethnic backgrounds.

Blood donors of African, Caribbean, or mixed ethnic origins are ten times more likely than white donors to possess the specific Ro blood subtype necessary for treating this chronic condition.

A person suffering from sickle cell disease may require blood transfusions from as many as 100 donors each year to maintain their well-being.