Its World Blood Donor day on the 14 June so why not think about becoming a donor. Blood donors are a life-saving team, and your donation is needed. Blood is something we all expect to be there for us when we need it, yet only 4% of us give blood - many people would not be alive today if it wasn’t for the generosity of donors. Most people can give blood, but all donors have to meet the eligibility criteria before their blood is accepted to ensure there’s no risk of us harming you or the patients who will receive it.

In England, around 8,000 blood transfusions are carried out every day. Therefore, the need for blood donations remains high. As blood can only be safely stored for a relatively short time, hospital blood stocks need to be continuously refreshed. For example, red blood cells can only be stored for 35 days and platelets (the part of the blood that helps prevent excessive bleeding) can only be stored for seven days.

In particular, blood donations are needed from black and Asian people because the current levels of black and Asian donors are very low. Certain ethnic groups often require certain blood types, so having a range of donations from a wide range of ethnic groups is a more effective way of meeting the potential demand for blood.

Find out how to donate by following the link: www.blood.co.uk

Do you want to know more about what happens when you donate blood? NHS Choices have some information that can help you, follow the link