Register to donate blood with ACLT
At ACLT, we are dedicated to getting more people to sign up for the blood donation registers. We also highlight the severe shortage of donors of Black heritage and we work towards diversifying the registers.
ACLT does not take blood donations, we work with organisations such as NHS Blood and Transplant to encourage people to sign up to their registers to donate.
Why donate blood?
To put it simply, blood donation helps to save lives and is a lifeline to patients who need to receive blood in an emergency or as treatment for a long-term illness such as blood cancers, like leukaemia, lymphoma, and myeloma, etc.
Why do we need more Black donors?
Whilst it is important for blood donors of all backgrounds to regularly donate, for patients to get the best treatment they need blood that is closely matched to their own and (especially for Sickle Cell patients) usually comes from someone of the same ethnicity with the rare subtype Ro. As of 2023, only 2% of current blood donors are of Black heritage – that is an estimated 19,300.
Can I still register to donate blood with ACLT if I am not from Black African or Black Caribbean decent?
At ACLT we register everyone for blood donation as we believe every blood donation could help someone live a longer and happier life no matter their ethnicity. We work towards registering all and to raising awareness of the severe shortage of donors of Black heritage in the United Kingdom on the stem cell (bone marrow), blood, and organ donor registers.
How can I register to give blood?
To donate blood you will need to:
- be generally fit and well
- be aged between 17 and 65
- weigh between 7 stone 12 lbs (50kg) and 25 stone (158kg)
- have suitable veins (they will be checked before you donate)
You can’t donate blood if you:
- have had most types of cancer
- have some heart conditions
- have received blood, platelets, plasma or any other blood products after 1 January 1980
- have tested positive for HIV
- have had an organ transplant
- are a hepatitis B carrier
- are a hepatitis C carrier
- have injected non-prescribed drugs including body-building and injectable tanning agents. You may be able to give if a doctor prescribed the drugs
To find out more about your eligibility to give blood, please head over to our FAQ’s.
To register to donate to give blood please head over to Blood.co.uk where you can register or sign up to give blood again if you already have registered. Please note these services are only for people living in the UK.
Typically, men can give blood every 12 weeks and woman can give it every 16 weeks due to women having lower iron levels than men. If you have genetic hemochromatosis, you may be able to donate blood every six weeks. You can find out more about that – here.
