Cumbrian blood donation team celebrates 30th anniversary

Held at Gilcrux Village Hall, the mass donation event was to mark the 30th anniversary of Cumbria’s blood and transplant service.

People of all ages took part, spending roughly an hour of their time making vital contributions to the NHS’ blood bank.

The anniversary coincides with the NHS’ 75th birthday this year.

Speaking on the event’s importance was Sharon Donald, senior sister on the blood donation team, who said: “We started this team 30 years ago, we are a mobile team that goes around all the local venues and takes blood donations from all our donors.

Sharon Donald at the event in Gilcrux (Image: Ollie Rawlinson)

“30 years, it’s a long time, and a lot of changes have happened in those 30 years, but the main thing that’s kept us going is the loyal, reliable donors we have.”

Sharon was helping the team take donations during the event, which lasted four hours from 3pm.

One such team member was Carol McCourt, who has worked for 30 years as a donor carer in the county.

Carol McCourt, who has worked in the service for 30 years (Image: Ollie Rawlinson)

She said: “We welcome the donor to the session, go through the health screening with them, make sure that they’re well enough and it’s going to be safe enough for them to donate, and for us to take a donation from them to go to a blood recipient who’s going to need the blood at some time.

“A lot has changed, it’s changed drastically, the job has become a lot more demanding as we’ve gone through changes.

“We’ve developed as donor carers; when I first started our role was basically just to sit with a donor and more or less just keep them company while they donated.

“Over the years, that role has developed to health screening all the donors and actually learning how to do the venipuncture and take the donation, whereas years ago that used to be done by doctors and nurses.”

Margaret Blackburn (left) with Carol McCourt (Image: Ollie Rawlinson)

On the importance of donating, she said: “It’s very important for people who are having hospital operations or have illnesses.

“Without these generous people giving their time and donation for nothing, where would we be?

“We would have a very poorly nation.”

David Akitt donating his blood, with the help of Becca (right) (Image: Ollie Rawlinson)

One such generous person, Silvana Hewitt, was giving her 49th donation on the day, and said: “Everyone who can do it should do it.”

Another donor, giving his second-ever donation, was Reinier Schrader, from Eaglesfield, who said about what drove him to donate: “There’s always a need for blood, and it’s a simple thing you can do for your community.

“I’ll keep doing it, it’s a small effort, it takes less than an hour, and it’s a very helpful thing you can do for society.”