A blood donation hub will be set up at Caerphilly Leisure Centre in May.

The hub will be open between Monday, May 11 and Friday, May 15.

With the country on lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, travelling to donate blood is classed as essential travel.

However, no walk-in slots will be available, with anyone wishing to donate blood asked to sign up beforehand.

The Welsh Blood Service, who are running the hub, has said it is “asking nobody to travel any more than 15 miles” to make a donation.

Alan Prosser, director of the Welsh Blood Service, said: “Despite the pandemic, blood donations are still needed by hospitals across Wales to treat patients with a range of conditions, including mothers and babies during childbirth, cancer patients receiving chemotherapy as part of their treatment and patients involved in emergency situations.

“Each donation can save or improve up to three lives.

“Thanks to support from new and existing donors, blood stock levels in Wales are currently in a healthy position. However, we are urging donors to attend their local donation session to ensure stocks remain sufficient to meet hospital demands.

“Additional measures have been put in place during the pandemic at every blood donation session to make the experience as safe as possible for donors, including additional Covid-19 screening for donors, social distancing measures throughout our clinics and PPE is worn by all collections staff.”

Mr Prosser added: “Blood donation is considered essential travel so if you’ve never given blood before and you are not currently self-isolating under the latest government guidance for Covid-19, please consider taking the time to book an appointment to donate in Caerphilly.”

To sign up to make a blood donation, visit wbs.wales/CaerObservpaper