TheDonorWeaving a new web

–Preview our colourful new website

Health FileKeep well this winter with

our helpful hints

Weaving a new webPreview our colourful new website

Health FileKeep well this winter with

our helpful hints

CALLING ALL DONORS!Get ready for the new NBS number, meet the people and find out more …CALLING ALL DONORS!Get ready for the new NBS number, meet the people and find out more …

NEWS AND INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL BLOOD SERVICE WINTER 2000 • FREE

‘GIVE BEFORE YOUGO’ SUCCESS

TheDonorTHE NEW

PHONE NUMBER

SPECIAL

THE DONOR WINTER 2000 3

NEWS

Don’t forget the new number 0845 7 711 7112 THE DONOR WINTER 2000 Find out more on the website: www.blood.co.uk

CONTENTS

The Sheriff of Nottinghamwas always after Robin

Hood’s blood ... but we got it!England’s most famous

outlaw is seen signing-up as a

blood donor at the St Mary’sPrimary School gala in Bulwell, Nottingham – withthe assistance of our recruiterAlan Jones.

Outlaw signs up

Conrad’s big thank you

The NBS held their first session atSilverstone on 3rd August. With over

50% of the employees at the Circuitexpressing a desire to give blood andemployees from companies surroundingthe track also being approached (JordanGrand Prix, Reynard and BAR) the sessionwas definitely heading for the fast track.

The staff at Silverstone Drive werevery supportive and organised the eventsuperbly. The session was held in thefunction rooms overlooking the finishingpost of the Grand Prix track, where staffassisted with the unloading of theequipment and provided all therefreshments for the blood donors.

John Watson (pictured above with

Billy Blood Drop), the Motorsport TVcommentator, said: “The British RacingDrivers’ Club and Silverstone Circuits are delighted to help and I am veryimpressed by the support shown by the staff at Silverstone, Jordan GrandPrix, BAR and Reynard, who are givingtheir blood.”

Despite the session being held right in the middle of the Grand Prix seasonwith most of the staff working hard, oron holiday themselves, over 80 peopleattended.

The NBS are planning to visit theracing circuit again during the wintermonths in the hope of improving the rateof donors through the chequered flag.

Silverstone take Pole Position

The first ever donor awardsceremony held in Truro

had a very special guest of honour - a 10-year-old boy who owes his life to blood donors.

Conrad Lobb (pictureabove), who is suffering from a sarcoma tumour, knows first hand how vital blooddonors are and he wanted tothank personally the 50

Cornish donors who had come along to receive awards for commitment toblood doning.

Conrad presented theawards as each donor wascalled up. Conrad is inremission and both he and hisfamily were delighted to begiven the opportunity to sharehis story with donors and tellthem just how special they are.

Erica’s party spirit

When Erica Pledger went to give her 50th

donation she did the job properly– taking along with her threelapsed donors, one currentdonor and a new recruit!

She had also tried to getanother four friends along aswell, but two were pregnant,

one had been to a malarialpart of the world on holiday,and the fourth had recentlygiven blood anyway.

Erica, of Thetford inNorfolk, explains: “When Iwas due to give my 50th pint Iwanted to make it morespecial than usual, so I

persuaded friends to join me.We all belong to the samegroup, Dereham Ladies Circle,which happens to be in its50th year - so gold all round.”

Erica is pictured abovewith session officer RosiePickles at left, and her friendsgathered round.

Who we are, where we are ... every part of England isrepresented on The Donor Editorial Group by thefollowing members: Carlene Dias – Editor Bristol,Paul Coast Leeds, Kate Burbridge Cambridge,Chris Hartley London, Peter Staples Birmingham,Annabel Bruxner-Randall Southampton.

The cost of producing, printing and posting each copy ofthis magazine is less than the price of a first class stamp.

GOT SOMETHING TO SAY!We welcome your personal stories, questions and comments.Write to Carlene Dias, The Editor, The Donor, National BloodService, Southmead Road, Bristol, BS10 5ND.Or visit our Website to find out more about the National BloodService and where you can also send us material for The Donor.The address is www.blood.co.ukThe Donor is published three times a year by the National Blood Service.Reproduction in whole or part is strictly forbidden without the prior permission ofthe National Blood Service. NBS Project Liaison Caroline Osborne. Editorial consultancy, art direction, design and production – Lewin Hodgson Design(LHD). Reproduction – Triffik Technology. Printed in the UK by Apple Web Offset Ltd.Cover photograph:David Tothill

3 NEWSLatest news and stories from donors and donor centres acrossthe country

6 CALLING ALL DONORSOur new telephone number means a better service for donors.Here’s your chance to check out the changeover

8 THE THOMAS COOK AFFAIRHow the travel giant helped persuade thousands of donors togive before going on holiday

10 MY LIFE …Meet the man who knows exactly where all that blood goes

11 WEAVING A NEW WEBSlicker, quicker and much more fun, our colourful new websiteis already a hit

12 HEALTH FILEHelpful hints to see you healthily through the winter

13 BONE MARROW UPDATEOver 100,000 blood donors are already potential bone marrowdonors. But more are needed

14 DOING SOMETHING AMAZINGMeet an amazing recipient and an amazing donor

15 THE INFORMATION CENTREAn up-to-date listing of all donor administration & processingcentres and permanent donor centres

16 GIVING BLOOD SAVED MY LIFEThe donor who realised how life saving donating blood can be

In this special Winter issue

The new number story see pages 6/7 ‘Give before you go’ see pages 8/9

WELCOMEAs blood donors, you are the backbone of this service and, on behalf of the patientswho have needed blood, we would like to saya huge thank you.

You may be wondering why this new lookDonor magazine has been mailed to you. It’svital that we at the National Blood Servicekeep you, our donors, up to date with anyimportant changes. So, one main reason is tolet you know about our new telephonenumber 0845 7 711 711 and website addresswww.blood.co.uk (which you can read allabout on pages 7 and 10 respectively).

You can also read inside how successful our“Give Before You Go” summer campaign was(see page 8). In fact, many of you did giveblood before going off on holiday, whichhelped keep blood stocks healthy during thesummer months.

We do hope that you enjoy reading thisnew compact The Donor magazine. It’s still asfull of news, views and features as ever.Copies of the magazine will continue to beavailable at donation sessions.

If you should receive more than one copyof this magazine, can we ask that you pleasepass a copy on to someone else who may beinterested in becoming a blood donor.

This is of course your magazine and wewant to hear your stories and views, so please write to Carlene Dias, Editor, at theaddress below.

In order for us to make sure we are providing thekind of magazine that you want, we will becarrying out a telephone survey, and you mayreceive a call asking for your comments.

The National Blood Service is run by The National Blood Authoritywhich is a Special Health Authority within the National Health Service NHS

THE DONOR WINTER 2000 5

NEWS

Don’t forget the new number 0845 7 711 7114 THE DONOR WINTER 2000

NEWS

Find out more on the website: www.blood.co.uk

Students and staff at the firstschool in Nottinghamshire to

hold donor sessions during schooltime have celebrated making morethan 500 donations in 12 months.

On hand to congratulate themwas Falklands veteran andcharitable campaigner SimonWeston, whose courage andtenacity made him a national heroafter he suffered 46% burns in the1982 war.

Donor sessions at the ColonelFrank Seely School in Calverton, nearNottingham, are held every 16weeks and are open to sixth-formers and staff during the day,with local residents invited to attendin the evening.

One teacher observed: “Theyoungsters do it for the best of motives, because they know howimportant blood donation is – theydon’t get out of any lessons.”

Presenting certificates to markthe 500th donation target, SimonWeston said he was “particularlyimpressed by the attitude” of youngpeople at the school.

He also thanked the school for a£500 donation towards hischaritable work with young peoplefrom difficult and disadvantagedbackgrounds.

Simon is pictured chatting withfour pupils from the school.

Donor school notches up 500 pints

Above: At Cleethorpes thissummer Billy Blood Drop gallopedin to meet holidaying children onthe beach.Right: Still at the seaside, this timeat Skegness, Billy continued hisequine adventures with a carriageride, accompanied by donorrecruiter Dawn Fleming.

Radio appeal brings a distant friend

Blood brothers Brothers Norman and BrianHazell have given over 150pints between them.And the pair, who are theonly Tory councillors atWakefield Town Hall, arecampaigning hard to getothers to donate as well. As Brian puts it: “We havedonated enough blood to filla bath and we want toencourage younger people tofollow our example.”

Hospital hundred A donor session for staff atHarrogate District hospitalsaw exactly 100 donationscollected - with 20 of thembeing from first time donors.Which is appropriate,because the wide area thehospital serves makes it one of the region’s biggestblood users!The chairwoman of thehospital trust, Jane Wesson, is a keen donor herself andencourages staff to supportthe sessions, being awarethat many hospitalemployees find it difficult to attend local public sessions regularly.

Jokes aside ...Unkind jokes about theruthless taxman – ortaxwoman – are certainly offtarget in Manchester, wherein one month alone 180Inland Revenue staffdemonstrated their kindnesswhen they donated at thecity’s new Donor Centre inBrown Street. ManchesterDonor Marketing Manager,Penny Richardson said:“Nationally one in 15 peoplegive blood, but in the InlandRevenue offices this figurerises to almost three in every 15.”

Half century overAfter 50 years as an activemember of the Hemsworthand District Blood DonorCommittee, Phyllis Smith hasdecided it is time to retire - atthe age of 92! Recent surgerymade Phyllis decide it wastime to slow down. Havingbeen a regular donor herselfin her younger days, Phylliscontinued to support theservice when she could nolonger give blood by encour-aging others to do so. Phyllisreceived a “thank you” fromPaul Coast of the NBS.

in brief...

Billy theKid!

What the papers say...

NBS says ‘thanks’ for campaign

After running a verysuccessful campaign to

recruit more blood donors,the editor of the GloucesterCitizen is seen beingpresented with a specialcertificate of thanks fromthe National Blood Service.

The paper’s target was toattract 500 new donors inthree months - and in factthey beat that reaching animpressive 518.

Mr Feeney said he wasaccepting the award onbehalf of all those who had enrolled and the many thousands whoalready gave blood.

Mr Feeney is picturedabove receiving his awardfrom Kerry Harvey andGeraldine Parker of the NBS, together with Citizenjournalist Annelisa Macaulay-Lowe at left.

The National BloodService has said a big

“thank you” to the HullDaily Mail which recently rana very successful campaignto recruit new donors.

The campaign, whichsaw more than 2,000readers enrol in a month asblood donors and aspotential bone marrowdonors, was sparked off bythe plight of leukaemiasufferer Molly-Ann Barnett,a patient at St James’Hospital in Leeds.

In a surge of activity afterthe newspaper began its

“Gift of Life” campaign, theBlood Service in the region experienced recordattendances at donorsessions around the area.

“Since the campaignstarted in July we haveenjoyed an excellentresponse. We have alsoexperienced record attend-ances at blood donorsessions in the area whichreflects much credit on thepart of the localcommunities,” wrote PaulCoast, donor developmentco-ordinator for the NBS inthe region.

Big response to Hull’s call

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BBC Radio Oxfordpresenter Bill Reynolds is a

long-standing blood donor,with almost 70 donations tohis credit.

When he received a pleafrom the NBS to bring a friendwith him he decided tobroadcast a plea to hislisteners to find a new ‘friend’to take along to the session.

But the new friend Billmade was no local listener –Liz Reed from Redhill in Surreyresponded to his plea andagreed to drive the 140 mile round trip to give blood at Abingdon Northalongside Bill.

“I was surprised butdelighted that someone at

Good things come in threes

Blood is thicker than water,they say ... and to prove

just how close-knit a familycan be three generations ofone family all gave bloodtogether recently.

While Betty Barton, ofBury St Edmunds, was givingher 61st donation, daughterCarol Windsor was giving her 27th and grand-daughterLouise Windsor was learning

the ropes with her first.The “girls” made their

donations at the NewburyCommunity Centre in Bury St Edmunds – and now we(and they) want to know if thisis a record!

Can anyone do better? If so, please drop a line to the editor of The Donor, whose name and address ison page 2.

such a distance should beinterested in coming alongwith me” said Bill.

“The session was verybusy and our part went verywell and got a lot of publicityabout how important it is to give blood, which is themain thing.”

Said Liz: “I hadn’t givenblood for 18 months anddecided this would be a goodway to get back into givingblood regularly.

“It was my day off and it’sa lovely drive to Oxford, so Idecided to respond to Bill’sappeal.”

With 15 donations to hername, Liz has quite some wayto go to match Bill’s score, but

“Give blood, play rugby” as the sayinggoes ... but Keighley Rugby League

Club gave it a whole new meaning when theyenthusiastically supported a donor session atthe ground.

Our picture shows Billy Blood Drop with theKeighley Cougars’ mascot at a recruitmentdrive during a home match earlier this year,

held to promote the special session.Plenty of spectators got the message,

and the session attracted 68 people, of whom 61 were able to donate - 30 of thembeing new donors.

The club arranged for key players to beavailable to boost the session and is keen tohelp organise a return match.

Keighley’s play for new donors

she plans to donate closer tohome in future, at Reigate.

If you don’t live anywherenear Oxford and Bill’s namestill sounds familiar, you

may have heard him on RadioTwo. He spent 14 years there and has stood in for JimmyYoung, Gloria Hunniford andJohn Dunn.

THE DONOR WINTER 2000 7Don’t forget the new number 0845 7 711 711

NEWS

6 THE DONOR WINTER 2000 Find out more on the website: www.blood.co.uk

THE NATIONAL CALL CENTRE

Teatime is over for DorisDoris Barnett was the toast of the recent Kidsgrove blood donor

session, bowing out after 20 years as volunteer tea lady for thetown’s donors. As well as serving the tea and biscuits for all thoseyears, Doris has also been a donor, giving almost 60 times.

Doris was presented with a bouquet by the National BloodService as a ‘thank you’ for her wonderful service. Pictured aboveraising their tea cups to Doris (centre) are staff nurse Jane Ford anddonor team member Bob Beeston.

Coventry’s honours

Honours were heaped onCoventry blood donors at

an awards evening in the city -and also on the uniqueCoventry Donors’ Association,which recently marked its 50thanniversary.

The Association was set up in the post-war years soonafter the NBS itself, when agroup of citizens, mindful ofwhat their city had suffered inthe war, got together to dowhat they could to support theNBS locally.

Half a century on, theAssociation remains the onlyone of its kind in England,involving itself in fund-raisingand educational work topromote blood donation.

Its long-serving president,Ron Kimberley, and his wife,Alma, were present for theawards ceremony, and MrsKimberley is pictured abovereceiving a splendid bouquetfrom Blood Service leadconsultant Dr Gamal Gabra(above right).

Pupils at King’s School in Gutersloh, Germany,

played to packed houses onthree nights with their blood-curdling school produc-tion “Dracula Spectacula”... and Dracula really wasspectacular.

King’s School is a BritishForces’ school with most of the pupils coming from Army families. Over aweek-long period the cast

and production team held“blood bucket” collections andraised £235 for research anddevelopment – NBS.

The idea for the Anglo-German Transylvanianproduction came from one ofthe teachers from Bradford atthe school.

A keen donor herself, she isalso daughter of the chairmanof the local voluntary blooddonor committee.

Dracula revamped!

We all know howfrustrating it can beringing a Helpline.

You’re put on hold for ages, offeredautomated information you don’twant, then have your earsassaulted by tinny tunes beforebeing forced to follow complexbutton-pressing instructions.

How refreshing then, that mosttimes when you call the NationalBlood Service Helpline (or DonorHelpline) the first thing you hear is –a real voice.

‘You won’t be put on hold.Every call will be answered by a realperson,’ promises Ian Hamertonwho, as manager of our NationalCall Centre (NCC), is the man whomakes sure blood donors get theHelpline service they deserve. ‘Wewant donors to think of our CallCentre as a people to peopleservice, to feel sure they can talk toa real person.’

At times of major appeals orvery busy periods a very smallproportion of calls do get answeredby a recorded voice, he admits, ‘butthat recording doesn’t keep thecaller holding on. It invites him or

Calling all donors!

donor number and up will cometheir details on the operator’sscreen.’ The NCC is also gearing upto handle the increasing traffic

From the end of April 2001, all 0354 numbers willcease to exist. But, it’s not just the phone numberthat’s changing at the Donor Helpline. Behind thenew national number 0845 7 711 711 is a slickerquicker service designed to make life easier forevery donor in the country.

‘We want donors to think

of our Call Centre as a

‘people to people’ service,

to feel sure they can talk

to a real person.’

centralised number that everydonor in the country could call forinformation. So, if you want toregister as a new donor, find yournearest donor centre or have yourrecords updated, one phone call tothe new number 0845 7 711 711(charged at local rates) is all that’sneeded.

Operators can normally adviseyou on whether you are eligible todonate, based on the basic criteria.However, more technical ormedical queries – which make upabout 16% of calls received at theHelpline – are transferred for expertadvice.

Nothing is perfect of course but,as far as NCC is concerned, thingscan only get better. ‘Within three tosix months existing donors will nolonger have to give their full detailsin order for operators to deal withtheir enquiries. Only their donornumber will be needed. What thismeans is that instead of donorsalways having to repeat their nameand address when phoning in, theywill be able simply to quote their

her to leave a contact number inorder to be called back within 30minutes.’

In fact, our two Call Centres –one in Bristol, the other in Belfast – which between them operate theDonor Helpline, can jointly handleup to 8,000 calls a day. When linesare at their busiest – after acampaign or appeal, for example –the Helpline can field up to 300operators to answer calls. So Ian iscertainly not making any promisesour NCC can’t keep.

The Donor Helpline waslaunched almost two years ago,with the highly effective TVcampaign ‘Do Something AmazingToday. Save a Life. Give Blood’.

The aim was to provide a

Billy Blood Drop has the newnumber (above). Emma Bloreshows off some of the Call Centreawards (below). Call Centre staffanswer calls personally (right).

Ring 0845 7 711 711where you can:

● Enrol as a blood donor

● Find out if you can give blood

● Find out where you cangive blood locally

● Check if it’s easier to giveblood near to your work

● Find a more convenientsession to donate bloodnear your home

● Check your next donorsession details

● Inform the NBS of a change in your details

● Order a replacement Donor Card

● Check innoculationrequirements if you aretravelling abroad and how they might affectgiving blood

From left: Meet the team that makes it happen; Emma Blore fromMMG,with Ian Hamerton and David Bish from The NBS

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generated from www.blood.co.uk– the NBS website. ‘We’re gettingabout 700 enquiries per month,and that can only increase,’ says

Ian. Naturally further improve-ments are planned, details of whichwill be reported in future issues ofThe Donor.

The Thoma s Cook Affair“Give Before You Go” was the messagegiven to donors about to go on holiday.Thanks to a unique partnership betweenthe National Blood Service and travelagents Thomas Cook that’s exactly whathappened.

Billy Blood Drop was in Mansfield to make sure “Give Before You Go” got off to agreat start. Among the customers he met at the Thomas Cook offices in the Four

Seasons Centre - with buckets and spades at the ready - were Heather and Ian Brownwith children Harley and Ian, planning their sunshine getaway... but definitely notforgetting to give first!

July and August always see a dip in collections asmillions of people go abroad for their holidays. But

thanks to the nationwide campaign this year’s sum-mer season saw blood stocks holding up well.

So successful was the “Give Before You Go” campaign, which included reminder leaflets andposters at dozens of Thomas Cook outlets, that thetravel giant is going to promote the message to customers again next year.

With hospital demand for blood increasing andmore people than ever before jetting off on holidays,it was crucial that donors were reminded to “GiveBefore You Go”.

Figures show that the number of people goingabroad annually is some 30 million - and donors whovisit exotic locations may be precluded from givingfor 12 months due to the risk of transmitting malaria.In May alone this year 4,800 people were unable todonate for this reason.

So please when you are planning next year’s sum-mer holiday, don’t forget to include time to giveblood before you go.

Our pictures show the campaign in action atThomas Cook branches around the country.

The sun was definitelynot shining in

Birmingham for thelaunch of the NBS andThomas Cook “GiveBefore You Go” campaign.

But hardy souls fromboth organisations put ona brave face – and in onecase an Hawaiian shirt – to create the chance for a good photo (above)

Give Before You Go” really took off in Liverpool – withballoon power giving the campaign a big lift! The

Thomas Cook “superstore” in Edge Lane allowed theBlood Service to put up a display in the main foyer for twoweeks, which not only promoted the campaign but alsoadvertised times of local sessions. Pictured with it areGrace Pendleton of Donor Marketing and Louisa Conroy,a Thomas Cook staff member.

Lincoln gave an enthusiastic responseto the “Give Before You Go”

campaign, with a mobile informationunit, sited near the Thomas Cookpremises in the Cornhill, doing aroaring trade in enrolments andinquiries.

National Blood Service teammember Sue Fletcher (front left) is seenoutside Thomas Cook busily recruitingthe next generation of blood donors,watched by colleagues Rachel Tittcomb,Anna Church, Edwina Andrews (hiddenbehind a balloon) and Maria Conway.

Billy Blood Drop andassistant Sonja

Barnett, pictured left, hit the streets nearThomas Cook inCheltenham to get the“Give Before You Go”message across aboutgiving before you go. As the local newspapercommented: “Cancellingthe milk might seem the most important thing to do before jettingoff... but there is anothermore crucial pinta toremember.”

BBCHoliday Programme presenter AngelaRippon joined forces with Billy Blood

Drop to highlight the summer campaign to “GiveBefore You Go”, with the two of them meeting up atLondon’s West End Donor Centre in Oxford Circus.

Angela, who has presented stories relating tomalaria in her other role as presenter of WatchdogHealth Check, as well as tempting viewers withreports from exotic destinations, stressed theimportance of giving blood before travelling.“Once you have visited a malarious country youcan’t donate for a full year, so it makes sense to givebefore you go. It costs nothing and saves lives.”

Thomas Cook staff in Plymouth joined in thenational spirit of the campaign with a fun-packed

event at their Cornwall Street offices. Billy Blood Dropjoined staff dressed as sweets and balloons and handedout leaflets to passers-by. Seen with Billy are RebeccaShaw and Alan Witt of Thomas Cook, and, at right,Mary Humphries of the National Blood Service.

BUSY BILLYOxfordBilly Blood Drop dropped in at Thomas Cook inOxford to help staff get the vital “Give Before YouGo” donor message acrossto holidaymakers.

BAABilly met a real high-flyerwhen he visited theThomas Cook Bureau deChange at Heathrow air-port – he met Roger Cato,Managing Director of theBritish Airports Authority.

LutonIt was hats off to holidaysat Thomas Cook in Lutonwhere Billy met staff mem-bers Cherie-Louise Howe-Brown and Natalie Newins.

Virgin Atlantic staff andholidaymakers chatted with Billy

Blood Drop when he called in at Gatwickto check that donors had remembered togive before going on holiday.

Virgin Atlantic Chairman, Sir RichardBranson, knows just how critical it is tomaintain blood stocks. He said “We areproud to have supported the NationalBlood Service for many years and we havealready been successful in attracting hugeinterest in asking people to give bloodthree times a year.

the Birmingham DonorCentre, which is just across the street fromThomas Cook, becausethe Blood Service carattracted her attention!

Traffic is banned fromNew Street for most of theday and it is thanks to thesupport of BirminghamCity Council that the NBSblue light was allowed in.

SUMMER CAMPAIGN “GIVE BEFORE YOU GO”

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in New Street in the city centre.

Shivering in his beachshirt is Kingsley Brookes ofthe Birmingham CentreMarketing Departmentand with him is LindaFallon of Thomas Cook. Atright is Lissa Philpott ofThomas Cook.

Kingsley even managedto recruit a new donor for

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THE DONOR WINTER 2000 9Don’t forget the new number 0845 7 711 7118 THE DONOR WINTER 2000 Find out more on the website: www.blood.co.uk

“

As Head of Productionand Site Co-ordinator atSouthampton Blood

Centre, Mike Northcott is respon-sible for the smooth running of allits departments, so that bloodproducts get through to the 19hospitals in the region.

Mike, who first joined theNational Blood Service 30 years agoas a trainee technician, manages ateam of almost 60 staff in fourlaboratories, and simply managingthat number of personnel and thesite takes up a large part of his time.He also needs to keep in closetouch with colleagues at the other14 blood centres across England,and usually spends at least one daya week away from his base atmeetings with them.

In fact, meetings loom large inhis life. ‘Every Monday I have a 9.30 am meeting with sectionheads, then at 10.30am with the line managers, who all perform different functions,’ hesays. ‘That way everyone knowswhat everyone else is doing, whichis crucial.’

As site co-ordinator, Mike isresponsible for operating thecontingency plan should disasterstrike. So when a small fire brokeout in one laboratory recently(involving Mike having to hold hisbreath and return to the smokefilled lab with firemen to point outthe source of the blaze), Mikeensured that everyone was safelyevacuated, and that there was nointerruption to blood processingand testing.

The fuel shortage posed achallenge too, but again Mike tookprompt action to secure petrol andthe Centre carried on workingthrough the crisis.

Disaster management apart,Mike’s essential role is to ensurethat all the blood donationscollected in the Southampton area

are safely processed, tested andthen issued to hospitals. Every unitof blood has to be logged, from themoment the needle goes into adonor, until it is issued to a hospital.Timing is crucial: blood and bloodproducts have a limited life, soprocedures carried out atSouthampton Blood Centre arecarried out in a professional andtimely manner, whilst ensuring thatsafety and quality are notcompromised.

All blood collected at donorsessions has to be first filtered toremove white cells, then spun toseparate it into red cells, plateletsand plasma, which are all used totreat patients. At the same time,blood samples, which have beentaken following donation, aretested for any antibodies,unwanted viral or bacterialcontamination, and for bloodgrouping. When all that is done, the blood can then

MY LIFE: Mike NorthcottHead of Production and Site Co-ordinator, Southampton Blood Centre

All in a day’s work

three hour meeting with hisopposite numbers fromBirmingham, Bristol and Oxford, todiscuss anticipated blood packusage for the financial year2001/2002. ‘This alone amounts to750,000 donations,’ says Mike. ‘We use about five blood pack manufacturers, who makedifferent packs for different bloodproducts. We need to plan howmany of each kind we will need,then put these figures to MichelleAshford, who is Head ofProduction, Testing and Issues. Theorders can then be put through tothe manufacturers.’

After the meeting it was backto Southampton. ‘On an averageday I’d take home a bit of work tocatch up on,’ says Mike. ‘But after along meeting I like to head straighthome afterwards to unwind.’

Marketing and Public Relationsare a vital part of NBS businessthese days, and Mike participatesenthusiastically in campaigns andattends as many donor award

Mike Northcott is the man who, comewhat may, keepsSouthampton’s hospitals suppliedwith blood

be issued to the hospitals.On a fairly typical day last

month, Mike was in the office at8.30am picking up his e-mails andprinting out the most importantones to read later.

A meeting in Birmingham wasscheduled for 1.00pm, and Mikespent about an hour of the journeycatching up on correspondence. Aquick sandwich was followed by a

Birmingham Donor Centre had a starring role when Central Televisionmade a programme this summer about apheresis donation. Thenationally shown programme also includes a remarkable father andson, Nick and Robert Plotnek – with Nick an apheresis donor who hasgiven more than 260 times and Robert, aged 10, a platelets recipient.Another platelet donor, Stephen Costley, is actually interviewed as hedonates and puts the case very strongly for more donors to join him.During the programme Consultant Haematologist, Dr Heidi Doughty,and Donor Centre staff member, Marcia Wolfe, explaines who canbecome platelet donors and the need to find more people willing todo so, as well as the value of platelet donation.

TV programme boosts platelets

ceremonies as he can. Once donorsfind out who Mike is, the questionscome thick and fast, from ‘Wheredoes my blood go to?’ to the moretricky ‘Why do my children havedifferent blood groups to me andmy partner?’ or even ‘Why has myblood group changed?’ ‘There’salways an easy scientificexplanation to their questions,’says Mike diplomatically.

10 THE DONOR WINTER 2000 Find out more on the website: www.blood.co.uk

If it were a book, you’d call ournew website a real page turner(and best seller). For those of

you who haven’t logged on yet,you’re in for a bit of a treat.

There’s been a completerevamp. Gone is the old black andred colour scheme, instead there’s acool blue and red theme, plus fullcolour pictures, and lots of helpfulfacts and information.

Easy to use‘We launched the new website inthe summer,’ says CarolineOsborne, NBS Head of MarketingServices. ‘We wanted a more user-friendly, easy to navigate site with a

light touch. So we’ve put inhumour, plenty of stories about real people, and lots ofinteresting and, we hope, helpfulinformation.’

The website is easy to find yourway around, with a series of hearticons at the bottom of the screen toguide you. And the addresswww.blood.co.uk couldn’t beeasier to remember.

The website has tried to covereverything anyone might want toknow about giving blood, fromenrolling and donating to what the

National Blood Service does andhow you could help as a volunteer.

Want to know where yournearest donor session is? Simplyclick on the heart marked “Whereto donate”, then key in yourpostcode and hey presto – upcomes an address, a map andcontact number. You can also printoff the map, if you want.

First timer? Don’t worry, the“What happens” pages tell youeverything you need to know. Orperhaps you’ve been abroad/had a tattoo/taken some medicationand are not sure if or when you cangive blood.

If so, “Who can donate” can

answer your questions fast. For areally tricky medical question, youcan e-mail the experts at the NBS.And if you’ve any doubts abouthow valuable giving blood is, justclick on ‘Amazing Stories’ for somereal life case histories.

Light reliefThe most striking features of thenew website are its informality and

www.blood.co.uk

Whatever the question,our website has the answer

increase of some 19%. This is a remarkable result

considering there has been nomarketing or advertising topromote the new site. Which mustmean that donors and would-bedonors know a good website whenthey see it.

And keep the site in your sightsas it’s developing all the time.

Brighter, breezier and better than ever... we’re talking about our new, improved website where donorsand would-be donors can get the facts fast about givingblood and more information.

‘We wanted a more user-friendly, easy tonavigate site with a light touch. So we’veput in humour, plenty of stories aboutreal people and lots of interesting and,

we hope, helpful information.’

Above right: You can sign-up tobecome a donor by using thewebsite, above, as well as check-ing out lots of interesting facts.

humour. Giving blood makes manypeople apprehensive, so offeringthem a little light relief on-line helpsreassure donors and would-bedonors and puts them at ease.

It seems to be working too –there’s been a staggering responsesince the summer, with visits to the website up from an average of 842 hits a day to 1032 – an

THE DONOR WINTER 2000 11Don’t forget the new number 0845 7 711 711

HEALTH FILE

Keep warm, eat well and exercise regularly and you should sail throughthe coldest weather. Try our delicious warming soup recipe below, fullof vitamins to help keep your resistance high to winter bugs. Even ifthe weather is bad, you can follow our gentle but effective indoorexercises designed to raise your metabolic rate and give you a glow all day. Finally, our health Q & A is designed to answer your commonconcerns about donating blood.

You may not feel like venturing outside on a freezingcold day. But the glow of a gentle indoor workout canlast for several hours, as well as making you feel (andlook) fitter. Aim for 10 minutes of the followingexercises every day. These exercises should only be attempted by people inreasonably good health. If you do not exercise regularly,or suffer from asthma, circulatory or joint problems, orhave recently been unwell, please consult your doctorbefore starting any programme of exercise.

Stepping – use the bottom stair for some gentlestepping exercise. Start with both feet on the floor, then

step up with one foot onto the first stair, bring up theother foot beside it, then step down with the first foot,followed by the second. Repeat 20 times, or as often asis comfortable.

Marching – put on some music, and march briskly onthe spot until you feel a gentle glow. Swing your arms intime to boost your effort.

Dance – yep, try some funky moves and grooves toyour favourite hits and have fun while you warm up!Just stepping from side to side and clapping with thebeat can raise your pulse.

Boost youriron levels!

Heat oil or butter in a saucepan over a medium heat and gentlyfry garlic, ginger and bay leaf for a minute. Add the choppedvegetables and fry very gently (don’t let them brown) for 10minutes. Pour on the stock, bring soup to boil, then quickly turndown to a slow simmer. With the lid on, cook gently until thevegetables are tender – about an hour, depending on the size ofthe vegetable pieces. Puree in a blender, or sieve to the desired texture. Checkseasoning. Return to pan to reheat, then serve in bowls with aslice of grilled cheese on French bread toast if desired.

Some commonmyths about blooddonation

QI had jaundice as a baby.Does this mean I can’t

give blood?A Generally, anyone who hadjaundice as a baby can donate.However, if you have had HepatitisB, we might need to run some tests to check if you can still donate or not. If you’ve had ViralHepatitis C, then unfortunatelyyou cannot donate.

QOne of my regular donorsessions is always in winter,

when I often have a cold or flu.Can I donate when I’m ill?A You shouldn’t donate blood if you are unwell on the day of the session. Try and make analternative date for when you have recovered completely.

QAre you able to give bloodafter body piercing?

A Anyone who has had any part oftheir body pierced, including ears,needs to wait 12 months afterpiercing before they can donateagain.

QIn the past I’ve sufferedfrom glandular fever

(mononucleosis). Does thataffect my giving blood?A Provided that you are fullyrecovered there’s no reason whyyou can’t give blood.

When you attend a blood donorsession, a nurse will take yourmedical history and assess yourcurrent state of health. Yourhaemoglobin levels will also betested, to check they are not toolow to give. You will then beadvised on whether you can giveblood. If you are unable to give for any reason, you will be givenguidance on when to return.

Warming Winter Soup

Blood donors give away a lot of iron with their

donations. Iron is important formaintaining haemoglobin levelsand good health.

Always include some of thefollowing foods in your diet toprotect your iron levels: lean redmeat, liver, kidney, oily fish suchas tuna and sardines, fortifiedbreakfast cereals. Other, lessconcentrated sources of iron areeggs, nuts, wholemeal bread,naan bread, dried fruits, beans,lentils, fresh green vegetables.

Vitamin C helps with theabsorption of iron. Taking fruitjuice with meals may help boostiron levels.

Tea may reduce the absorptionof iron, so it may be better todrink it between, not with, meals.

Pick up a leaflet next time yougive blood and find out more.

Medical Fact File

Information for Donors

LowHaemoglobin

Three easy exercises

This delicious soup makes a perfect supper for when the nights arelong and cold. The vegetables provide useful vitamins, and for extranutritional value try adding a slice of grilled cheese on French breadtoast to each bowl before serving. Home-made stock is better thanusing a cube but the results from either will be delicious!

TO SERVE 4I/2litre/1pint chicken or vegetable stockOlive oil or butter for frying vegetables500g/1lb mixed chopped root vegetables eg potatoes,carrots,swedes,leeks,onions 1/2tsp grated ginger (optional)1 clove of garlic, crushed Salt and pepperBay leaf

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12 THE DONOR WINTER 2000 Find out more on the website: www.blood.co.uk THE DONOR WINTER 2000 13

Just over a year ago Molly-AnnBarnett from Leeds fell ill with arare form of leukaemia.

Chemotherapy treatment didn’twork, and Molly-Ann, now 6,desperately needed a bone-marrowtransplant if she was to survive.Unfortunately, a family match wasnot available, therefore, it wasnecessary to undertake an unrelatedbone marrow donor search. In Julythis year her family and friends putout a nation-wide appeal to find asuitable donor.

How blood donors helpOf course, most people understandthat there are many patients likeMolly-Ann, including adults, whoneed a bone marrow transplant, not just in the UK but internationally.What they may not realise is howblood donors help twice in this vital process.

First, donors save lives when theirblood is used in the operatingtheatres where bone marrowtransplants are performed. Second,blood donors are very good at stayingin touch, and that’s vital if theNational Blood Service is to keep its British Bone Marrow Registry up-to-date.

The Registry, set up in 1987 by theNBS, is essentially a list of blooddonors who have volunteered aspotential bone marrow donors (seebox below on how to become adonor). The NBS laboratories test the

volunteer donors’ blood samples,gathered from its network ofcollection sites across the country,and perform complex tissue typingtests. At a later stage the results canbe used to find a potential ‘match’ fora patient.

By regularly donating blood,

BONE MARROW UPDATE

Regular life saving

these bone marrow volunteers allowthe NBS and the British Bone MarrowRegistry to keep their details up todate, making it easier for them to becontacted if they are identified as apotential bone marrow donor. Thereis nothing more frustrating than for ahospital to identify a potential donor

Nationwide appeals can bring in many newdonors, who we hope will stay with us and carry on donating, to give life to manymore people than just the appeal case.

Could you become a bone marrow donor?About 100,000 blood donors have volunteered

themselves as potential bone marrow donorsbut more are always needed.

To register as a potential bone marrow donor, youmust already be a blood donor (at least one donationrecorded) aged 18 to 40, healthy, and weigh over50kg (7 stone 12 pounds). Once registered, you willremain on the British Bone Marrow Registry until youare 55, or for as long as you are still eligible to donateblood up to this age limit.

You can register as a bone marrow donor at yournext blood donation session. You must inform thedonor attendant at the reception that you wish to dothis before you donate your unit of blood. Staff willthen ask you to sign a separate consent form so that

they can take a small additional blood sample toidentify your tissue type.

Once this has been analysed, your details are thenentered onto the British Bone Marrow Registry. Thechances of being selected to actually donate bonemarrow are about 6 in 10,000.

‘There is drop out rate of about 25%,’ explainsAnn Green, head of Tissue Typing at Bristol BloodCentre. ‘Potential donors may turn out to bepregnant, unwell, or to have moved.’

Donating bone marrow involves typically twonights in hospital, but most donors sail through theprocess. ‘We had two members of staff here whodonated bone marrow, and they were absolutelyfine,’ says Ann.

Don’t forget the new number 0845 7 711 711

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only to discover the volunteer hasmoved or changed names, and can’tbe traced. Which is something thatpeople, who respond to a TV ornewspaper appeal for bone marrowdonors may not understand.

The NBS would be delighted if potential bone marrow donors firstregister to give blood, as well assigning-up to become potential bonemarrow donors. Of course, they maynever be called upon to donate bonemarrow, but they will always savelives by giving blood.

Donors always neededAppeals such as Molly Ann’s areexceptional – not least because theyrequire huge resources to cope withthe surge of volunteers.

Every sample collected has to belogged, tested, then entered on theRegistry. Meanwhile, collecting bloodmust go on. The NBS is extremelygrateful to regular blood donors whomay have been affected by theoverwhelming response to helpMolly-Ann, and for showing suchpatience when they attended theirlocal collection centres.

The good news is that Molly-Annhas had her bone-marrow transplant,and is making good progress.

Last year Jo McAuliffe under-went a plasma exchange atthe John Radcliffe Hospital

in Oxford. In fact it was not just once: it was every day for two months.

Jo, 29, a civilian police officerwith Thames Valley Police, has had the acute and potentially fatal disorder TTP (ThromboticThrombocytopenic Purpura) threetimes in the last five years. Duringtreatment, her blood is effectivelyswapped with that donated byblood donors – and while her ownred blood cells return to her, her diseased plasma is replacedeach time with three litres of fresh plasma.

Now in good health and back towork, Jo calculatesthat she has receivedmore than 1,000 unitsof blood products -and all from donorsshe will never meet. ‘Ifeel hugely grateful tothem’, she says. ‘Thedonors have been thedifference betweenlife and death for me.Sometimes, when I’mwalking down thestreet or when I meetsomeone who givesblood, I can’t helpthinking, “Was ityou?” It’s an amazingconcept – thatsomeone else has donated bloodwhich has meant I can live.’

The untold story Not surprisingly, Jo, the beneficiaryof hundreds of blood donations,now knows a lot about blood andblood products. But for most of us,blood is not something we think

DOING SOMETHING AMAZING

Amazing is as amazing does!

much about. We may know peoplewho are blood donors, watch TVscenes from Casualty or ER wheredoctors are transfusing blood…but for most people what happensto the blood after it leaves the arm of the donor until transfusioninto the body of a patient is anuntold story.

For example, one popularmisconception is that the bag ofblood from a donor is the bag ofblood given to the patient. In factonly a small proportion ofdonations are retained as wholeblood because modern medicaltreatment rarely requires wholeblood transfusion.

The vast majority of donationsreceived at National Blood Serviceprocessing centres are separatedinto component parts - whichmeans every donation can helpmore than one patient.

Doing something Jo McAuliffe may wonder aboutidentities of the unknown peoplewho gave their blood to her, butthere is, of course, never a directconnection between donor andpatient. Ruth Major, a teacher inRochdale, Lancashire, has justmade her fiftieth donation. She hasa way to go to catch up with herfather who gave 61 - but to ensurethe tradition of blood donation iskept alive in the family she hasalready enlisted her two sons.

At a typical visit to a session,when one of our mobile unitsarrives in Rochdale, about three

Meet Jo and Ruth, justtwo examples of themany inspiring storiesof people whose livesare saved by donatedblood, and who savelives by being donors.

quarters of a pint, around 470ml,of Ruth’s blood is transferred into abag containing a solution whichstops the blood from clotting. Aftera brief rest, the traditional cup oftea and the promise to return, Ruthgoes back to her students, her stepin the process complete.

‘I don’t think about it anymore,it’s like going to the library,’ shesays. ‘I’ve never had a lot of moneyto give people but I can give bloodand it doesn’t cost me anything.’

Less than one in ten peopleregularly donate blood. The NBS is always striving to boost donor numbers. As part of a series of initiatives with that aim, asurvey was commissioned frommarket researchers MORI to findout why some – and not others –become donors.

The survey found that those ingovernment, the army andteaching were most likely to giveblood – whilst those in advertisingand marketing were least likely.Convenience is a key factor in thedecision process: 15 per cent ofpeople said they would begindonating – if they could do so atwork. As a result we launched ourWork Together to Save A Lifecampaign, in partnership with theTUC and CBI, aiming to enrol as many as possible of that 15 percent at work.

“It’s an amazingconcept - that

someone else hasdonated blood

which has meantI can live”

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Above: Thanks to the blood shehas received, Jo can enjoy her loveof Romany caravans.Below left: Ruth received thiscertificate after her fiftiethdonation

REMEMBERDonors can give

blood three times a year

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14 THE DONOR WINTER 2000 Find out more on the website: www.blood.co.uk

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Permanent Blood Donor Sites The phone numbers listed here are forappointments only

SOUTH EASTBedford: Luton Blood Donor CentreSt Georges Square, Bridge Street,Luton LU1 2NFTel: 01582 681 900

East Anglia Blood Donor CentreLong Road, Cambridge, CB2 2PTTel: 01223 548001

Essex: Brentwood Blood Donor CentreCrescent Drive, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 8DPTel: 01277 306133

LONDONLondon: Edgware Blood Donor CentreDeansbrook Road Clinic, Edgware HA8 9BDTel: 020 8732 5460

London: Tooting Blood Donor Centre 75 Cranmer Terrace, Tooting, SW17 0RBTel: 020 8258 8368

London: West End Blood Donor Centre26 Margaret Street, W1N 7LBTel: 020 7301 6900

MIDLANDSBirmingham Blood Donor Centre65 New Street, Birmingham B2 4DHTel: 0121 253 8220

Leicester Blood Donor Centre84 Vaughan Way, Leicester LE1 4SJTel: 0116 262 6238

Nottingham Blood Donor CentreCastle House, Castle Boulevard,Nottingham NG7 1FRTel: 0115 958 9588

Oxford Blood Donor CentreJohn Radcliffe Hospital,Headington,Oxford, OX3 9DUTel: 01865 447939

SOUTH WESTBristol Blood Donor CentreGrounds of Southmead Hospital,Southmead Road, Bristol, BS10 5NDTel: 0117 991 2040

Gloucester Blood Donor Centre59 London Road, Gloucester GL1 3HFTel 01452 361800

Plymouth Blood Donor CentreDerriford Hospital, Derriford Road,Plymouth, PL6 8DHTel: 01752 617815

Southampton Blood Donor CentreCoxford Road, Southampton SO16 5AFTel: 023 8029 6708

NORTH EASTNewcastle Blood Donor CentreHolland Drive,Newcastle-Upon-Tyne NE2 4NQTel: 0191 219 4405

Sheffield Blood Donor CentreCathedral Court, Church Street,Sheffield S1 1NWTel: 0114 203 4700

NORTH WESTLancaster Blood Donor CentrePO Box 111, Royal Lancaster Infirmary,Ashton Road, Lancaster, LA1 4GTTel: 01524 306250

Leeds Blood Donor CentreBridle Path, Leeds LS15 7TWTel: 0113 214 8653

Liverpool Blood Donor CentreLord Street, Liverpool L2 1TSTel: 0151 551 8889No appointment necessary.Drop in daily 9.30am -5.00pm; 10.30am - 2.00pm Saturday

Manchester Blood Donor CentrePlymouth Grove, Manchester M13 9LLTel: 0161 251 4218

Manchester City Blood Donor CentreNorfolk House, (behind Tesco Metro)corner of Brown Street & Norfolk Street,Manchester M2 1DWTel: 0161 251 5100(no appointment necessary)

NBS INFORMATION

Reach us on the WebKeep in touch and get in touch the hi-tech way, via our Website. The address is

www.blood.co.ukand you can send material to The Donor

as well as finding out more about the NBS.

For your information, we have outlined below where our Processing &Administrative Centres are in the country, also details on our permanentBlood Donor Centres.

If, for any reason, your local donor session is no longer suitable, thenit may be more convenient for you to attend one of our permanent BloodDonor Centres, where you can either make a fixed appointment orattend at a time which is better for you. We would ask you to pleasecall the relevant number below to find out the opening times andwhether they operate an appointment system or whether you can justturn up.

All you have to do is call your local Blood Donor Centre number, whichis listed below the relevant address, and speak to a member of staff whowould be pleased to book your appointment.

Alternatively, you can call our new National Donor Helpline on 0845 7 711 711 or visit our Website at www.blood.co.uk to find outdetails of alternative local blood donor sessions in your area.

Our Donor Helpline is available 24 hours a day, where experiencedoperators are there to assist you. As a valued donor we do not want tolose your support, so please let us know if you are moving, or your per-sonal details have changed. That way your records will always be accu-

Don’t forget, the new Donor Helpline number is

0845 7 711 711ALL CALLS ARE CHARGED AT LOCAL CALL RATE

Processing & AdministrationCentresBirmingham, Brentwood, Bristol, East Anglia,Lancaster, Leeds, Manchester, Mersey &North Wales, Newcastle, North London,Oxford, Plymouth Centre, Sheffield,Southampton, South Thames, Trent

We always need new donors. So pleasepass our phone number and websiteaddress on to a friend or family memberand let them find out more informationabout the National Blood Service andhow they can help to save lives.

THE DONOR WINTER 2000Don’t forget the new number 0845 7 711

Please note that the permanent donor centres will not deal with general enquiries or concerns, the number to

Giving bloodsaved thisman’s life

Brewing up support across the country

When 63 year-old PeterCollins went to hislocal donor centre, he

thought he would be making justanother routine donation.

Instead the former policeman,who has been giving blood formore than 40 years, was told hewas anaemic and referred to his GP.He was shocked to learn he had theearly stages of bowel cancer.

‘I had no symptoms, but I wasextremely tired,’ he told the OxfordMail. ‘I simply put that down to oldage and too much gardening.When I found out I had cancer I was

devastated. The specialist said ithad been caught early.

Although it sounds dramatic, it means that the National BloodService nurses really helped save my life. I can’t praise the Service or the NHS enough. They havebeen fantastic.

Tests orderedPeter was making his 52nddonation when the anaemia wasdiscovered. His GP ordered testsand, when these came backnegative, arranged for anendoscopy, which revealed the

problem. Thanks to prompttreatment and surgery to remove

the cancer earlier this year, Peter isnow fully recovered. This is actuallythe second time the Blood Servicehas saved Peter’s life.

Pay backAs a young boy, he was seriously illand needed many bloodtransfusions. At the age of 18,while in the Army, he begandonating blood as a way of payingback the National Blood Service.

NBS spokesperson Carlene Diassaid ‘It’s usually the recipient who is saved by our Service, but thisis amazing’.

She added ‘Every day more than100 people will discover that theyare anaemic because of our service.Most of them are simply referred to a doctor for treatment, but occasionally more seriousconditions are uncovered, such asleukaemia or cancer.

The last thing we want to do isput people off giving blood but our Service acts as a mini check-up,as well as saving the lives of other people’.

Veteran blood donor Peter Collins put histiredness down to old age. But when he wentto give blood the doctors made an importantdiscovery that ultimately saved his life.

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Everyone knows that blood donorsonly do it for the tea and biscuits.

Joking aside, if you want to recruit newdonors, then you could do worse thanarrange a series of coffee mornings acrossthe country and invite interested peopleto attend. Which is just what the BigBrew-up 2000 campaign has been doing.Recently it staged a series of morningsacross the country on behalf of SAAFA(Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and FamiliesAssociation) a national charity helpingserving and ex-service men and womenand their families who are in need.

The events were held in association with theNBS and offered many new recruiting andpromotional opportunities for the BloodService. Down in Plymouth the tea and coffeeflowed while service men and women took theopportunity to find out more about becoming adonor, and the children made full use of the playarea provided.

Maybe it was the custard creams orsomething in the tea, but 12 people immediatelyvolunteered to go to the Plymouth DonorCentre at Derriford Hospital. Shown here, wesee the recruitment stand with Angela Sims (left)from Plymouth SAAFA talking to a visitor, whilstAlan Hardy (centre) chats with The Mayor ofPlymouth, Cllr Dennis Camp and a member ofthe Armed Forces.

New lease of life for regular donor Peter Collins

16 THE DONOR WINTER 2000 Don’t forget the new number 0845 7 711 711