A GROUP of students from Birmingham City University swapped their pens and papers last week to help save lives by encouraging people throughout Birmingham to give blood.
Third year students, Rabia Raza, Ivy Ching, and Janice Wong - on the BA (hons) Media and Communication degree – organised a blood donor drive last week at Birmingham New Street’s Donor Centre.
The donor drive formed part of the final year student’s campaign to raise awareness of blood donation, with a focus on ethnic minority groups. The campaign – titled Gifted Blood – saw 90 people register to give blood last Tuesday and Wednesday and was so successful that the students have added two further dates.
22 year old Rabia Raza from Moseley said: “We wanted to produce a valuable campaign to focus awareness on a well-deserved cause. Blood donation is a procedure which saves lives, yet we found it to be overlooked amongst ethnic minority and younger communities.
“Coming from a diverse range of backgrounds ourselves including, Chinese, Malaysian, Iranian and Pakistani, we hope to quash the myths and issues surrounding blood donation, preventing ethnic minorities from donating.”
The blood donation drive will be held at Birmingham New Street’s Donor Centre between 1pm and 4.30pm on Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 May. For more information and to register to give blood please email
giftedblood@gmail.com.
To be eligible to give blood you must be aged between 17 and 65, weigh over 7st 12lbs (50kg) and be in general good health.