Brixton’s blood donors roll up their sleeves and save thousands of lives

South London blood donors have saved more than 11,000 lives in the three months since Brixton’s new blood donor centre opened to the public, data from NHS Blood and Transplant reveals.

Between December 2024 and February 2025, 3,773 people donated at the Brixton centre, providing more than 3000 units of blood. Each unit can save up to three lives.

External photo of the Brixton blood donor centre More than 1000 first time donors chose to give blood in Brixton, providing vital additional units of blood to the country's hospitals and emergency services, including air ambulances, fire fighters and paramedics.

Inspiring a new generation of young donors and increasing the number of Black heritage donors from Lambeth’s diverse population are key aims of the centre, and the Brixton community that helped design it.

Initial data suggest the centre is already making a significant impact by boosting the numbers of young and Black heritage donors giving blood.

Estimates suggest that over the period analysed, one in every ten donations to the Brixton centre (10%), was from a donor of Black heritage – more than three times the national average of 3%.

The positive trend continued when analysing the ethnic make-up of Brixton's first-time donors. Just under one-in-five (15%) of the new wave of donors were of Black heritage, three times the national average of 5%.

The need for more Black heritage donors has never been greater. Donors from Black African and Black Caribbean backgrounds are significantly more likely to have the specific 'Ro' blood type used to treat sickle cell – the UK's fastest growing genetic disorder that disproportionately affects the Black community.

Nationally, more than half of Black heritage blood donors (56%), have the 'Ro' blood type, compared with just 2.4 % of donors from other ethnicities, so recruiting more Black heritage donors is key to meeting the growing sickle cell need.

In its first three months, the Brixton centre outperformed the rest of the country by recruiting 7% of donors with the high demand ‘Ro’ blood type. Across England over the same period, the average percentage of 'Ro' donors recruited was 3%.

More than half (52%) of the donors attending the Brixton centre were under 35, compared with the national average of 23%. With the average age of donors across the country rising above 45 last year, the highest it has been in five years, recruiting more donors between the ages of 17 and 35 is vital to ensure long-term stock resilience.

Statements

Statement from Mark Chambers

NHS Blood and Transplant Director of Donor Experience Mark Chambers said:

"South Londoners should be immensely proud of the massive difference their generosity has made to the lives of tens-of-thousands of people, in the short time the Brixton centre has been open.

"It's still early days, but to see thousands signing up to give blood, many for the first time, is truly inspiring and suggests that the innovative centre is connecting with the local population.

"Although the centre has had a strong start, the need for more donors is growing. That's why I'm urging Brixtonians to follow the lead of the thousands already giving blood by making an appointment at the Brixton blood donor centre today to save lives."

Statement from Dr. Debbie Weekes Bernard

London Deputy Mayor for Communities & Social Justice, Dr Debbie Weekes Bernard, said:

"It's fantastic that the generosity of Londoners has helped to save more than 11,000 lives during the first three months of the new blood donor centre in the heart of Brixton.

"This centre stands as testament to the strength of community and demonstrates the impact that giving blood can make. I know from personal experience that giving blood is quick, easy, and painless, and I want to encourage more Black Londoners to donate.

"This selfless act can help provide life-saving transfusions to sickle cell patients, as well as for use in emergencies, childbirth, during surgery and in cancer treatments, as we build a better, healthier London for everyone."

Statement from Professor Bola Owolabi

Professor Bola Owolabi, NHS England Director of the National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme, said:

"Many people with blood disorders, such as sickle cell disorder - an inherited condition that mostly affects people of Black African and Black Caribbean heritage - rely on regular blood transfusions to survive. This is crucial for those unable to receive stem-cell transplants or gene-editing treatment, so it's fantastic to see thousands of new donors selflessly coming forward to give blood.

"Thanks to the incredible generosity of donors, this new blood centre in Brixton has already helped save tens of thousands of lives in just a few months as well as boosting the numbers of Black heritage donors - we'd encourage people to keep rolling up their sleeves to help improve the lives of others."

Statement from Professor Habib Naqvi

Professor Habib Naqvi, chief executive, NHS Race and Health Observatory, said:

"It's fantastic to see the excellent work undertaken at the Brixton's new blood donor centre, and in such a short period of time since its opening. But this is of no surprise because we know that take-up of medical interventions increases significantly when they are co-designed, co-delivered and located in the heart of the community - this is exactly the case with the new Brixton centre."

Statement from Baroness Gillian Merron

Health Minister Baroness Gillian Merron said:

"I am delighted the new Brixton centre is making it even easier for new and existing donors to save lives. It is especially encouraging to see this boost in the number of young and Black heritage donors coming forward.

"The NHS is in urgent need of Black heritage blood donors to help tackle sickle cell disease - we're grateful to all who are coming forward to help."

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