It’s World Blood Donor Day, an annual day around the globe to celebrate the amazing gift of life that blood donation and transfusion gives to thousands of people every day, and especially to promote volunteer blood donation (as opposed to paid donors), as this ensures the safest supply of blood.

‘If you call them, they will come…’

Spain

Italy

Canada

Testing a donor’s blood pre-donation for haemoglobin levels in the olden days

‘That wasn’t so bad…’

This is what happens to your blood



In the past it used to be stored in glass jars, as these old Red Cross pictures show

The finished product

Pure human solidarity

Today and every day 1,700 people in the UK will receive a blood transfusion

Want to learn more? Click these links:

World Blood Donor Day Find out how and where to give blood locally Join the UK organ donor register