Pillar one

Give blood

It takes less than an hour. Every donation can save one to three lives — accident victims, cancer patients, mothers in childbirth. Donate four times a year and you’ve saved 12 of your 50. What’s more important than that?

<1 hrdoor to door, biscuits included

3lives per pint

4×a year is all it takes

12of your 50, from blood alone

Get started in three clicks

Stocks of O-negative, B-negative and O-positive are often critically low — if that’s you, the NHS especially needs you. Watch the NHS “Be There” film to see why.

What it’s actually like

Save50 illustration — walking into a blood donation centre

Save50 illustration — donating blood in the chair: donate blood, save lives

“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. The staff are warm and grateful, the needle is expertly inserted, and you’ve saved three lives. Next one in 12 weeks.” — Rich, Save50 donation diary

A tip from the campaign: if you work from home one day a week, book an early appointment that morning — it barely touches the rest of your day.

Book your donation