DENBIGHSHIRE blood donors have been hailed for rolling up their sleeves and travelling to heed to call to call to donate.

Due to a series of Covid-19 related venue cancellations and social distancing restrictions, the Welsh Blood Service was unable to host donation sessions at the thirty community venues it would typically visit across Wales each week.

Following calls for people to "donate differently" with a rotating set of five "regional" hubs, 45 Denbighshire donors came forward to give blood in April - with six attending a donation session for the first time.

Alan Prosser, Director of the Welsh Blood Service, said: “When it became clear we couldn’t continue with business as usual, we knew we’d have to ask donors to donate differently. Our regional donation hubs have replaced our usual local collections programme and the response from donors has been remarkable."

Across Wales, of the 6,234 individuals that visited a Welsh Blood Service donation session last month, almost two thirds with 65 percent of donors attended a clinic that was not their usual donation venue. Travelling to donate blood is classed as "essential travel" in Government guidelines.

The next 'regional hub' location is Bangor University on Thursday, May 14, followed by a location to be determined in Llandudno Junction for two days from Monday 18 and in Rhyl on Tuesday 26.

For further information contact the Donor Engagement and Communications Manager, Andrew Harris via 07483222188 or wbs.communications@wales.nhs.uk