NHS BLOOD and Transplant marched at Birmingham Pride over the weekend to celebrate changes in rules which mean more people than ever before can donate.
Last year a historic move to allow more men who have sex with men were able to donate blood, platelets and plasma came into f
The NHS hoped to reach more than 40,000 people from the LGBT+ community in Birmingham as community engagement teams from NHS Blood and Transplant promoted blood donation and spoke about the eligibility changes.
George Mattu, has been attending Birmingham Pride since 2014 and donated blood for the first time in August.
He said: “I am proud to become a blood donor – it was quick and easy and to know that I have helped to save or improve three lives is amazing.
“Giving blood is something I have wanted to do for a long time and I would encourage anyone to take that step and book an appointment to give blood.”
There is an urgent need for more donors as blood stock levels continue to fluctuate as appointments are impacted by staff and donor absence due to illness and a drop in donations over summer when people are busy with holidays and events.
To become a blood donor click here, download the GiveBloodNHS app or call 0300 123 23 23.
