Welsh Blood Service teams up with JD Cymru Leagues and WWPL for campaign

Through its ‘Blood, Sweat and Cheers’ campaign, clubs are being encouraged by the Welsh Blood Service to engage with their supporters and local communities to promote the importance of giving blood and signing up football fans to save thousands of lives.

The campaign has received support from former Wales midfielder Owain Tudur Jones and Wales forward Natasha Harding.

Blood and its by-products play a vital role in saving lives each day, with donations helping accident victims, patients having a kidney, liver or an organ transplant, pregnant women, leukaemia and cancer patients, someone about to undergo open-heart surgery and premature babies who cannot survive without a blood transfusion.

In its new role as the official community partner of the FAW’s Cymru Leagues and Welsh Premier Women’s League, the Welsh Blood Service is hoping the initiative will help the organisation with its goal of signing 11,000 new donors in 2020.

Although the pandemic has temporarily stopped football fans from attending games, clubs are asking supporters to cheer their team on by making a potentially lifesaving blood donation instead.

Stephen Williams, chairman of the National Leagues Board, said: “The Welsh Blood Service is our first community partner for the JD Cymru Leagues and Orchard Welsh Premier Women’s League and we’re delighted to have made such an important signing.

“In each and every community across Wales there are people whose lives have been supported by blood donation and we’re calling on football fans to get involved and be lifesaving champions.

“We know football clubs across all levels of the game are often at the heart of their communities and during what continues to be a difficult time for all, we are grateful to provide clubs and fans an opportunity to play an important role for their club when many clubs aren’t currently playing.”