Blood plasma is used to make antibody medicines that save the lives of people with weak or faulty immune systems and donation only restarted in April after a gap of 20 years. At the moment the NHS relies on imported plasma medicines but there is increasing pressure on supplies.
More than 1,000 donations are needed a week and men are especially needed as donors because they are more likely to have the prominent veins required.
The industry’s blood bank is targeting 30,000 people from across financial services by 2022, and recruitment is ongoing so sign up to donate now on the website here or on the Linked in page.
Roger Morris (pictured), one of the driving forces behind the campaign, said his blood donation has already travelled from Edgbaston in Warwickshire down to Southampton.
Kate Davies (pictured), executive director at Imla, has made 91 blood donations over her lifetime. She is one of five long-standing blood donors and well-known industry names to detail their own personal reasons for regularly giving blood on You Tube, including Julie Patrick, group compliance director, OSB Group, James Chutter corporate account manager, Leeds Building Society, Emily Smith national account manager, Hinckley & Rugby Building Society and Tim Vigeon, head of lending Buckinghamshire BS.
Davies said: “We want to encourage everyone to become a regular donor. I’ve been doing it for 40 years now. I started in my last year at university after having an operation and losing a lot of blood.”
She added: “I hope many of you sign up and join the team of regular donors.”