Blood donation projects

Key information for applications focusing on blood donation.

On this page:

The need for blood donation projects
Group bookings
Areas of focus for blood donation projects
Applying for funding

The need for blood donation projects

Due to clinical need, any activity focusing on blood donation must engage Black African and/or Black Caribbean communities.

We are particularly keen to work with trusted voices and messengers who can help us address barriers, normalise blood donation and drive behaviour change within Black African and Black Caribbean communities, with a primary focus on increasing registrations from people of Black heritage.

Treating sickle cell

Every minute, the NHS needs three lifesaving blood donations. Demand is rising, with a record 250 donations now needed every day to support people living with sickle cell – the fastest growing genetic condition in the UK.

This increase reflects growing demand from hospitals. Last year, over 250 hospitals relied on blood donations to respond to emergencies, treat cancer, and support patients with conditions such as sickle cell.

People living with sickle cell may require blood from up to 100 donors each year to stay alive and well, through regular transfusions or red cell exchanges.

The need for blood to treat sickle cell has grown rapidly in recent years and continues to rise. In 2024, hospitals needed around 77,500 units of Ro blood to support people with sickle cell.

Ro blood

The Ro blood subtype is more common in donors of Black heritage and is vital for providing closely matched blood for people with sickle cell. However, only around 3% of blood donors are of Black heritage.

Increasing the number of donors from Black communities is essential to improve the availability of well-matched blood and help address inequalities in patient outcomes.

Around 6,500 blood donations are needed every month to support people affected by sickle cell, and demand for Ro subtype blood continues to grow.

Currently, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is only able to provide matched blood for just over half of the hospital requests. Other patients need to be treated with O Negative, the universal blood type.

Being treated with O Negative rather than the correct blood type is clinically safe but could mean, long term, patients are more likely to develop antibodies. This puts them at risk of complications and makes it even harder to find blood they can receive.

Group bookings

NHS Blood and Transplant has introduced a group booking initiative, enabling people to book appointments and give blood together.

This approach creates a shared and supportive experience, which can help make blood donation feel more accessible, particularly for those who may be donating for the first time. Bringing people together to donate as part of a group can also help build confidence, strengthen trust and encourage ongoing participation.

Group bookings have already contributed to increased engagement and participation with Black heritage blood donors. Applicants may wish to consider how this approach could complement their activity, where appropriate, by working with local communities, organisations or networks to support people to donate together.

Areas of focus for blood donation projects

This section details some of the themes applicants need to consider when putting together a project focused on blood donation.

Ro blood

The Ro subtype is a variation of the Rh positive blood type. You might have it if you have O positive, A positive, B positive or AB positive blood.

There is a gap between the number of donations that we collect and the amount of Ro blood that hospitals need.

Why do we need Ro blood?

Ro blood is important in the treatment of people with sickle cell, an inherited blood disorder that mainly affects people of Black heritage.

People with sickle cell have unusual shaped red blood cells, which can clump together and get stuck in blood vessels, causing extreme pain known as a ‘crisis’. This can lead to blindness, organ failure, stroke and many more symptoms.

There are currently around 17,000 people living with sickle cell in England, with 300 babies born with the condition per year. It is the fastest growing blood disorder in the UK.

Since 2017, the NHS has provided a ground-breaking service for patients with sickle cell. It now provides regular transfusions to many patients, which help avoid sickle cell patients going into crisis, so they can enjoy a more normal life.

Subtypes are important when someone has regular transfusions as they need blood that ethnically matches their own as closely as possible.

People of Black heritage are ten-times more likely to have the Ro subtype, and due to the high number of people from that background who have the disorder, Ro blood is in high demand to ensure sickle cell patients can get the treatment they need. That’s why more Black blood donors are needed.

Key motivators to give blood

Saving lives is a consistent motivator across all target audiences, however additional motivations for Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities include:

Having a rare blood type or ‘special blood’
Helping someone from my community
Differences in altruism – people of Black heritage are more likely to give to a relative or community project rather than a stranger. For both blood & organs it’s seen as a ‘shared responsibility’ as part of a caring community.

Real life stories are an effective key motivator, although they require a contemporary twist to be relevant for a younger audience. Check out our Give Blood YouTube channel for inspiration.

Barriers to giving blood

The process of donation and personal barriers are consistent across all target audiences e.g. personal belief/faith, fear of needles, understanding what is involved, childcare and time issues.

However additional barriers for people of Black heritage include:

Belief there is enough blood
Lack of awareness around the need for ethnically matched blood and organs
Trust in the state
Information and concerns about low iron levels
A belief that they are not eligible to donate and that their blood is not needed
Unaware of where to donate and less likely to attend unfamiliar venues
Concerns and suspicions around hygiene / infection / safety / testing / use of data
Family influences, dynamics and power structures.

Applying for funding

The application window for the latest round of funding is now open. The closing date for applications is [add date and time].

Apply for funding

If you have any further questions about the programme or previous projects we have funded, please email the Community Grants team and we will respond as soon as we can.

Frequently asked questions

Key information about the application and judging process.

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About the programme

About the Community Grants Programme and why it's needed.

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Examples of projects

See examples of blood and organ donation projects previously funded by the Community Grants Programme.

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