Boost for donor campaign to help drive up numbers
£700,000 OF FUNDING FOR GROUPS IS NOW AVAILABLE
A BURTON woman who received a lifesaving stem cell transplant in 2013 says funding to help improve donor numbers is vitally important for saving future lives.
This week, £700,000 of funding for local charities and community groups has been announced as part of the ongoing commitment of the Government and NHS to tackle health inequalities for those in need of life-saving transplants or regular blood transfusions.
The Community Grants Programme, previously known as the Community Investment Scheme, is run by NHS Blood and Transplant and aims to fund community, faith or belief organisations to deliver projects that encourage more black and Asian people to become donors.
The aim is to address the shortage of organs for those waiting for a transplant from all black and Asian groups and those with mixed ethnic backgrounds by raising awareness of both deceased and living donation.
The scheme also aims to inform people about the urgent need for more black blood donors to treat blood disorders like sickle cell.
NHS Blood and Transplant will also once again be working in partnership with leading blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan to raise awareness of stem cell donation.
Katherine Sinfield, 42, of Burton received a stem cell transplant thanks to the work of the Anthony Nolan charity in 2013.
This transplant from an unrelated donor in Germany means Katherine is now in remission from Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia.
Her work to increase the number of donors from all backgrounds on the register led to her winning several awards and she also made the shortlist for a Pride of Britain award.
Speaking about this new funding, Katherine said: “I know first hand how important it is to increase the number of donors on the register. During my treatment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham I was lucky because more than one matching donor was found – there were two in the USA and then the lady in Germany who was found to be the better match.
“The hunt to find a donor is a terrifying time because your life hangs in the balance, you need a match and you need one fast.
“Unfortunately, many people still do not find the match they require and this is even more prevalent in some ethnic cultures.
“Education and raising awareness is key to raising donor levels as many people do not realise what it entails and have natural fears – whereas in reality, joining the register just requires a saliva sample.”
The Minister for Primary Care and Public Health, Neil O’brien, said: “Blood, organ and stem cell donations save lives – and this funding will ensure projects that aim to encourage donation and increase education are led by, and tailored for, the communities we hope to see increased donations from.
“I encourage trusted community organisations to apply so we can continue tackling health inequalities and work to ensure people have access to vital blood, organ and stem cell donations when they need them, regardless of their ethnic background.”
In the scheme’s fifth year, NHS Blood and Transplant is now looking for applications that will engage diverse communities at grassroot level. There is a total of £700,000 available to community-based projects across England and Wales.
Organisations can apply for up to £20,000 in funding for a 12-month project, more information can be found on the Community Grants Programme website.
Funds will be available for each area are as follows:
Blood donation projects - £300,000 Living Kidney donation projects £150,000
Deceased organ donation projects £150,000
Stem Cell donation projects £100,000
Umar Malik, NHS Blood and Transplant’s Community Funding Manager, said: “We are asking more people from black, Asian and mixed ethnic backgrounds to help us to address the health inequalities that many people from these backgrounds may face. By giving your support you can help save lives.”