Last week six brave Atmos employees from our Manchester office ventured to the Manchester Plymouth Grove Donor centre to give blood. For some it was their very first time.
Giving blood saves lives, over 6000 blood donations are needed every day for the NHS to treat patients across England, and this figure is even higher for the whole of the UK. The donated blood is used to treat people with serious medical conditions such as cancer, during surgery, or to improve the quality of life for people with incurable illnesses. These are just a few examples of how giving blood can help a person in need, and how giving just 1 hour of your time can help save or improve a life.
Some of the reasons why previous donors to the centre chose to give blood
From the minute we set foot in the donor centre we were made to feel comfortable, and cared for by all of the centre staff. Within 15 minutes we had answered a set of routine questions, drank the recommended pint of water before donating, and were then seated in the donation chair ready to give blood. The staff’s main concern above all is that you’re comfortable, and there’s no reason not to be. The process is quick and simple, and this is coming from someone who isn’t a big fan of needles!
Georgina and Geoff during their donations
After about 10 minutes the donation is finished, and we were each carefully ushered towards the refreshments table. We then had our choice of hot and cold drinks, crisps, chocolate, and biscuits. This is the perfect time to treat yourself, not only because of the good deed you’ve just done but it keeps your body feeling good too. We all happily chatted around the table knowing that our donations collectively could help to save or improve the lives of up to 15 people!
Group bookings are encouraged at the centre and are easy to organise
Atmos strives to support charities and the local community, and what more perfect way to do it than by giving blood. A group donation is a great way of getting those who have never donated before into the habit of donating blood regularly. Thank you to all the staff at Plymouth Grove Donor Centre for looking after us, and we can’t wait to get our texts in a couple of weeks telling us where our blood has travelled too. We all look forward to donating again!
To find out more about donating in the UK, visit www.blood.co.uk or call 0300 123 23 23.