Real notes from the road to fifty — donation diaries, research findings and reflections, as shared on the Save50 LinkedIn page.
To celebrate, I’m setting out to save 50 lives in one year before I turn 50. Blood donation, financial giving, volunteering — it all counts. And it’s all possible.
This is the Save50 challenge. It’s personal. It’s public. And it’s for anyone who wants to make their time here mean something more. Over the year, I’ll share practical ways you can save lives with the time, money, or heart you have.
Appointment booked for 10.05 via the blood donation app. Arrived at 10am, form filled in by 10.05, iron levels checked by 10.10, donation by 10.25, then five minutes of biscuits and water… done.
It’s really easy, the staff are warm and grateful, the needle is expertly inserted — and then you’ve saved three lives. Next one in 12 weeks.
I’ve just signed up to be a potential stem cell donor with DKMS UK — and it took less than five minutes. Joining the register means you could one day be the match that saves the life of someone with blood cancer. It’s free, it’s painless, and it’s potentially life-saving.
I spent several months researching charities across the UK to understand where a donation actually goes. Kentish Town Food Bank stopped me in my tracks: referral-only intake, 57 volunteers, two part-time staff, and around 90% of donations directly benefiting clients — at a genuinely low cost per family.
Demand has grown 170% in three years, and child poverty in Camden runs above 40%. I’ve seen a lot of charities. This one spends your money well.
Found myself in A&E this week — it wasn’t planned. But you can prepare to better support an emergency: give blood, register to donate organs, join the donor registers. Next time it might be a friend, family member or colleague. I figured I could spare an hour every three months.
Learning how to donate strategically can maximise your impact. Malaria is a killer, so funding malaria prevention is a remarkably effective strategy — around £4 protects a child for a year. Give to well-researched charities and causes. Let’s make generosity count, one life at a time.
Missed a promotion? Lost your direction? Kids leaving home? Your value isn’t defined by titles or circumstances — it’s defined by the impact you make. When you help others survive, you rise: purpose, pride, legacy.