A critical shortage of blood donors from Black communities is placing thousands of UK patients at risk, particularly those living with sickle cell disorder. In response, the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT) and the NHS Brixton Blood Donor Centre are launching ‘One Drop Saturdays’ – a dedicated monthly blood donation initiative aimed at increasing the number of African and Caribbean heritage donors.
Starting on Saturday, 31st May, ‘One Drop Saturdays’ will offer reserved appointment slots at the Brixton centre for individuals inspired by ACLT’s mission to donate blood. This initiative is a direct response to the NHS’s urgent call for 12,000 new Black heritage donors to meet the growing demand for ethnically matched blood, crucial for treating sickle cell patients.
Recent data* reveals that only 2% of UK blood donors are Black, yet 56% of Black donors possess the Ro subtype (essential for treating sickle cell disease), compared to just 2.4% among other ethnicities. This disparity has led to a situation where over 210 blood donations are needed daily to treat sickle cell patients, with more than 75% of these required in London alone.
The Brixton Blood Donor Centre, opened in December 2024, has already made a substantial impact. In its first three months, over 3,700 people donated blood, with 10% of donations coming from Black heritage donors – more than triple the national average. Notably, 15% of first-time donors at Brixton were of Black heritage, indicating the centre’s success in engaging the local community.
‘One Drop Saturdays’ aims to build on Brixton’s early success by providing a welcoming environment for new and returning donors, particularly those from Black communities. By aligning with ACLT’s mission, the initiative seeks to transform community engagement into tangible, lifesaving outcomes.
“We are honoured to collaborate with the NHS Brixton Blood Donor Centre to encourage more individuals, especially from Black communities, to donate blood,” said Orin Lewis OBE, co-founder of ACLT. “Sickle Cell warriors depend on ethnically matched blood to survive, but right now, there simply aren’t enough donors from Black communities. ‘One Drop Saturdays’ is about taking collective action – one drop at a time – to close that gap.”
ACLT kicked off booking appointments during the inaugural One Drop Saturday on Bank Holiday Monday earlier in May, where they hosted a blood type testing event within the popular London club event, Slow Jams with A. The pop-up testing event saw young Black British adults register to become donors and book appointments to donate for the first time, while also learning an all-important fact about themselves – their blood type.
Appointment slots are now available on the last Saturday of every month.
