We all know someone who says that they have donated blood at some point, but it is vital now, more than ever, that more young people begin their blood donation journeys to ensure the Service can continue to meet demand and continue to save lives.

The Welsh Blood Service is calling for a new generation of blood donors across Wales with the launch of its 'Gwaed Ifanc/Young Blood' community partnerships campaign.

The Gwaed Ifanc campaign aims to encourage students and young people to become blood donors and join the Welsh Blood Service's stem cell registry, as well as encouraging schools and colleges to play a pivotal role in engaging younger generations.

The Welsh Blood Service collects roughly 100,000 blood donations every year to meet demand across the 19 hospitals it serves in Wales.

However, just 3% of the eligible population in Wales currently donates, and less than 15% of those are under the age of 30.

Each donation has the potential to save up to three lives by supporting a range of treatments, from helping recovering accident victims and patients with blood cancers, to supporting mothers and newborn babies during childbirth.

The Welsh Blood Service has already been working with schools across Wales for a number of years, with many hosting their own blood donation sessions for students and staff, promoting local community sessions, or hosting stem cell swab drives.

The Gwaed Ifanc campaign aims to build on these strong relationships by reaching out to schools with sixth forms and colleges across Wales to be a part of this exciting new community partnership.

The Welsh Blood Service also aims to recruit more than 6,000 people aged 16-30 and 16 to-45 from black, Asian, mixed or minority ethnic backgrounds to its stem cell registry every year. Currently, around 2,000 people in the UK require a stem cell transplant each year.

To find out how your school or college can support the Welsh Blood Service, visit the Young Blood (www.wbs.wales/YoungBlood) page for more information and resources, or email: [email protected]