Almost 300 people have pledged to donate blood through an initiative led by the University of Dundee Sports Union.
Earlier this year, students within the Sports Union launched the ‘Bloody Brilliant Sports Union Challenge’, encouraging Dundee clubs to come together during a time of restricted sport in order to promote the importance of giving blood.
For ten weeks, 25 clubs within the University took turns in running their own blood drives, encouraging as many people as possible to donate while raising awareness for the essential service.
To date, 281 individuals have pledged to donate, 58% of which are first time donors.
When an individual gives blood, the donation is split into three components - red blood cells, platelets and plasma. When one person donates blood, it has the potential to save or improve the lives of up to three people, meaning that the number of donations pledged through the Sports Union Challenge could impact upwards of 800 people.
“Now more than ever, blood donation services are in desperate need of donors in order to continue their vital role in supporting the NHS,” said Dan Sayer, President of the University Sports Union.
“What made the blood drive unique was the fun, inclusive and competitive nature of the idea, with club members coming together for a friendly competition to see which sports club could pledge the most.
“Our clubs do a lot of work for great causes and the response to this campaign has been overwhelming. It was particularly great to see how many donors were donating for the first time. Well done to all our clubs and members for taking part.”
The campaign was facilitated through a partnership with the Scottish charity Give Blood 4 Good (GB4G), who aim to increase participation and improve education surrounding blood donation while creating a culture that inspires more young people to start donating blood.
Megan Petursdottie, Education Officer at GB4G, said, “When we were approached to run a university blood drive, we were thrilled. In general, university students are young, fit and healthy, meaning they make fantastic donors.
“We hope that this will encourage more universities to run blood drive campaigns, and that this challenge continues at the University of Dundee for years to come.”
The charity hopes that the uptake on this campaign can inspire a new team of GB4G advocates to carry forward their mission on the University campus. If you’re interested in finding out more about how to get involved in the Dundee ‘Bloody Brilliant’ challenge, contact GB4G rep Matthew Simpson via email.