The New Saints is teaming up with the Welsh Blood Service to inspire football fans to roll up their sleeves and become lifesavers.
As the first ever official community partner of the Football Association of Wales’ Cymru Leagues and Welsh Premier Women’s League, the Welsh Blood Service’s ‘Blood, Sweat and Cheers’ campaign calls on football fans to consider how many lives they could save if they donate blood at one of the upcoming donation sessions in their area.
While fans may not be able to visit Park Hall Stadium during the pandemic, an average match attendance of 291 fans pitch side and each blood donation potentially saving up to three lives, by turning up to give blood just once this year the club’s fans could save the lives of 873 people, which is the equivalent of almost 26 football teams.
Approximately 350 donations of blood a day are required by Welsh hospitals and the Welsh Blood Service is calling on support from local fans to make a significant difference to thousands of patients’ lives.
Football Operations Manager and Club Secretary, Jacob Williams, said: “All at The New Saints FC are proud to be promoting the ‘Blood, Sweat and Cheers’ campaign by the Welsh Blood service.
“We are encouraging all of our supporters to visit one of the blood donation centres nearest to you to help save lives. Thank you to all of our supporters that will be donating blood, from all at The New Saints FC”
The Welsh Blood Service needs to collect around 100,000 blood donations each year from roughly 70,000 volunteer donors. This year the organisation is hoping its ‘Blood, Sweat and Cheers’ campaign will help it meet its wider goal to recruit more first time donors.
Blood and its by-products play a vital role in saving lives each day, with donations helping accident victims, patients having a kidney, liver or an organ transplant, pregnant women, leukaemia and cancer patients, someone about to undergo open heart surgery or premature babies in need of a vital blood transfusion.
It’s easy for anyone aged between 17 and 66 to book to donate online and become a lifesaving donor. From start to finish, the donation process takes up to one hour, with the physical blood donation lasting only 5-10 minutes.
Give blood for your club today, visit www.wbs.wales/TNSFC to find all donation sessions in your area.
