Support quality, independent, local journalism…that matters

From just £1 a month you can help fund our work – and use our website without adverts. Become a member today

Welsh Blood Service has announced more blood donation hubs are to be set up in Caerphilly County Borough after Christmas.

Donation hubs will be at St Cenydd Leisure Centre, near Trecenydd, at the end of this month.

The hubs will run on December 29, December 30 and New Year’s Eve.

A Welsh Blood Service spokesperson said: “The clinics struggle over the festive period and we need to ensure we keep a sufficient supply of stock to cover all eventualities.

“Please sign up to donate especially if you have been thinking of donating  and never got around to it.

“Your one donation will potentially save the lives of three people or six premature babies.”

In the new year, a donation hub will open at Bryn Meadows hotel, near Maesycwmmer, on January 7.

To book an appointment to give blood, visit wbs.wales/CaerObs

This week, it was announced that the ban on LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) people donating blood will be lifted from next summer.

The lifting of the ban will come into place across the UK as part of a ‘four nation approach’ between the devolved administrations of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as the UK Government.

Alan Prosser, director of the Welsh Blood Service, said “These changes represent many years of hard work by the FAIR steering group – which is a UK wide collaboration of healthcare professionals and academia, within which the Welsh Blood Service has played an important role.

“Whilst blood services are not responsible for setting the rules around who can and can’t donate we’re delighted that the work of the group has resulted in the development of a series of new regulations that will enable us to welcome more donors to our clinics.”

He added: “There is still work to be done to implement these new regulations but we are delighted these changes have been announced and look forward to welcoming new donors to our clinics in 2021.”

Wales’ First Minister, Mark Drakeford, described it is a “momentous announcement”, while Wales’ Health Minister Vaughan Gething said it “will put an end to the discrimination many people in the LGBT+ community have faced”.