{"id":4658,"date":"2023-01-13T07:00:10","date_gmt":"2023-01-13T07:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crosscountiestraining.co.uk\/?p=4658"},"modified":"2023-01-12T12:07:26","modified_gmt":"2023-01-12T12:07:26","slug":"donate-blood-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/donate-blood-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Donate blood and save up to three lives"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Help save lives by donating blood.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Everyone needs blood, but at this time of the year, there are enormous pressures on blood banks and what better way to start 2023 in a positive way than to donate blood?\u00a0 Millions of people each year depend on blood transfusions and if you include those undergoing routine operations the number increases.\u00a0 NHS Blood needs around 135,000 new donors every year in England to make sure that they can meet demand.<\/p>\n<p>Giving blood is a great way to get involved in your community and to help the people around you.\u00a0 Helping people in need also has positive impacts on your Mental Health and leaves you feeling happier.\u00a0 Are you ready to help?<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Who can give blood? <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Giving blood saves lives and can be a lifeline in an emergency.\u00a0 In 2021 blood donation became far more inclusive in England by reducing health disparities and enabling more people to donate.\u00a0 You can register to donate blood if you meet the following criteria:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You are generally fit and well<\/li>\n<li>You are aged between 17 and 65<\/li>\n<li>Weigh between 7 stone 12 lbs (50kg) and 25 stone (158kg)<\/li>\n<li>Have suitable veins (these will be checked before you donate)<\/li>\n<li>Meet all donor eligibility criteria (this will be checked\u00a0before you donate)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Common reasons which would not enable you to donate blood include having had most types of cancer, having some heart condition or an organ transplant, having tested positive for HIV or if you are a hepatitis B or C carrier.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Do I need to know my blood type to donate?\u00a0 <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>No, when you donate blood for the first time you will find out after your donation what your blood type is.\u00a0 If you are one of the rarer blood types, then donating your blood is even more important.\u00a0 Stocks of blood are low over peak holiday periods and thousands more donors are needed to make sure that number is not depleted further. O-negative, A-negative, and B-negative donors are especially needed.<\/p>\n<p>All that is needed to donate is a bit of your time and you can help to save lives by helping to keep stocks at reliable levels.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Does it matter if I am male or female? <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Did you know that men can donate more often than women?\u00a0 Men can give blood every 12 weeks whereas women must wait 16 weeks to protect their iron levels.\u00a0 Meshach Snape, 27, has donated blood 16 times and says, \u201cI feel really good after I donate, especially when you get the text message to say which hospital your blood has gone to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Men who donate regularly can play a big role in providing the almost 5,000 donations needed every day.\u00a0 The absence of some antibodies in men\u2019s blood makes it easier to use in blood products such as plasma and platelets.\u00a0 They are often used to treat people with burns and cancer or\u00a0those\u00a0in accidents or\u00a0with weakened immune systems.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>How do I get started? <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Join the thousands of people who are donating blood and by giving just 1 hour of your time you can save up to 3 lives by following these easy steps:<\/p>\n<p>To get started, you&#8217;ll need to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/my.blood.co.uk\/preregister\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">register your details<\/a> by answering some basic questions and validating your email.\u00a0 Once you have registered you can then <a href=\"https:\/\/my.blood.co.uk\/your-account\/login\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">log in to book an appointment<\/a>\u00a0at a\u00a0time and\u00a0venue\u00a0that suits you.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Making your first donation<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Step 1<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When you arrive at your appointment, you will complete a health check questionnaire and drink 500ml of water.\u00a0 This helps prevent any ill effects from donating blood.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 2<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Have a private health screening with a friendly member of the team.\u00a0 A drop of blood will be taken from your finger to check for iron levels.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 3<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Take a seat and a friendly nurse will draw blood for 5-10 minutes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 4<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Enjoy a free drink and snack while you rest for 15 minutes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 5<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You&#8217;re all done. Your donation will help save\u00a0up to three lives.<\/p>\n<p>Did you know that people who donate blood usually do it because it feels good to help others through volunteering and this can be linked to positive health outcomes, including a lower risk for depression and greater longevity?<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What happens after you donate blood? <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>When you donate blood they take 470ml of blood which is just under a pint.\u00a0 Your blood is sent to a blood centre where is it processed and then issued to hospitals.<\/p>\n<p>After you donate blood your body has an amazing ability to replace the blood you have given.\u00a0 Once you donate blood you should rest for a short time, avoid carrying anything heavy on your donation arm for the rest of the day and do not take a hot bath. \u00a0\u00a0If you need further advice or experience any prolonged after-effects from your donation, please call\u00a0<a href=\"tel:\/\/03001232323\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">0300 123 23 23<\/a><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Where can you donate blood?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>There are 25 main donor centres around the country where there are permanent teams and the greatest capacity for appointments.\u00a0 To <a href=\"https:\/\/my.blood.co.uk\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">find your local blood donation venue and book an appointment<\/a> you can go to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.blood.uk\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">www.blood.uk<\/a>.\u00a0 They also have thousands of temporary community-based locations where you can also give blood in and around England.<\/p>\n<p>Blood is always needed, so make sure you book an appointment and <a href=\"https:\/\/my.blood.co.uk\/preregister\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">register as a blood donor today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Why should you do it?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>By donating blood, you can save a life or several if your blood is separated into its components \u2013 red cells, platelets, and plasma \u2013 which can be used individually for patients with specific conditions.\u00a0 So do it for yourself, your family or a stranger so that you know that you are always protected in an accident, and it is a wonderful gift to give.<\/p>\n<p>At Cross Counties Training we hope that by teaching people First Aid Skills we can help to save lives.\u00a0 If you would like to speak to us about how we could help with your First Aid training requirements, please call us on\u00a0<a href=\"tel:\/\/01276586943\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">01276 586943<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:admin@crosscountiestraining.co.uk\">email<\/a>\u00a0us at <a href=\"mailto:admin@crosscountiestraining.co.uk\"><strong>admin@crosscountiestraining.co.uk<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0for hassle-free bookings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Help save lives by donating blood. Everyone needs blood, but at this time of the year, there are enormous pressures on blood banks and what better way to start 2023 in a positive way than to donate blood?\u00a0 Millions of people each year depend on blood transfusions and if you include those undergoing routine operations [&#8230;]\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4655,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Blood-saves-lives-Image.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4658"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4658"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4658\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4660,"href":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4658\/revisions\/4660"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4658"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4658"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/creativeideasfactory.co.uk\/cross\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4658"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}